Sense Memory
by TH3angelinH3LL
Summary: Set in season one before five by five; "I don’t get it, I can survive a hell dimension, but I can’t get my microwave off the potato preset?" - Evil Doyle & Angelus resurrect a few friends. Angelus/Nefertiti Cordelia/Doyle
1. O Negatory

**AN:** _Not sure where this is going, just like the other story. But I can tell you it's set sometime after Hero, slightly AU [you'll see why]. The timeline might be a little off but it's a story for cripes sake not a History report! Sorry for any inaccuracies in quotation I tend to write late at night and can't have the television on to wake anyone. Uhm, if you'd like to take a music suggestion go to YouTube or ProjectPlaylist and listen to Nine Inch Nails - Leaving Hope Nine Inch Nails - The Frail [Version] Nine Inch Nails - The Persistence Of Loss Nine Inch Nails - Gone, Still. They are songs that remind me of Angel and his brooding demeanor, all instrumental very beautiful. Hopefully everyone is in character for this, apologies if they aren't. For you Wesley W.P. fans, sorry about the tiny part, there will be more Wes in future chapters, I promise! __**Read on and please review, it keeps me going. Criticism, love and ideas are always welcome. Flames are gay ;]. **_

**Warning:**** Possible M rating for future chapters. Spoilers for Season One. **

_**Disclaimer:**__ I do NOT own any of these characters from Angel or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, they are trademark and copyrighted to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. I do NOT profit from or benefit in any way [besides strange personal gratification] from this story. Don't sue me, I have no money or equity for you, it'll be a gigantic waste of time and money. _

**Chapter One: O Negatory**

"_Is that it? Am I done?"_

The familiar Irish lilt echoed through his dream, startling him into an upright position. It wasn't often he didn't dream about Doyle. Lately the dreams were getting fewer and farther between, something he wasn't ready to let go of yet. They were something he hoped to never let go of. Doyle was his closest friend while he was alive and now his deepest regret. If only he had recognized the look in Doyle's eyes sooner. But he'd never seen that look on him before. If only he'd been at the ready to better anticipate Doyle's actions. But he'd never seen Doyle play the hero before, didn't know what to look for. Angel's life was full of ifs and could have beens, what's one more? One time he wanted things to go right. Just once for all parties involved.

Running a hand through a crusted head he sighed, gripping the sides of the bed. Some days just weren't worth getting up anymore. Staring to his bare feet for a moment he stood, moving to the bathroom. Removing his shirt he stared into the empty mirror, smirking at the memory it brought to him.

"_Like it would kill the guy to not see himself."_

**Cordy**. She had spent the week a few months back due to some fumigation errors in her apartment. During which she had gotten peanut butter on his red satin sheets, vehemently blaming him for it. It felt nice to smile, even if it was just for a moment.

Removing his pants he started the hot water up, checking it for temperature as he slid off his boxer briefs. To think, boxer briefs didn't exist for the better part of his life. "God I love the twenty first century." Stepping into the shower he let the hot water calm his nerves and eager muscles. He smirked, eyes closed as he soaped his face, trying to imagine Cordelia alive when he was a young man. Rinsing the soap from his body Angel grabbed the shampoo, a tiny electric shock of excitement traveling to his groin as Cordelia crossed his mind in a variety of promiscuous positions. Physically shaking his mind free of such thoughts he finished washing his hair, standing for a few minutes to get the suds out.

By the time he stepped out it was foggy enough for him to squint lightly while grabbing at his towel. He wasn't squinting out of necessity, merely habit, as his eyesight was better than anyone could imagine. Before he could get the towel properly wrapped around himself he heard the phone ringing upstairs in the office. Silently cursing to himself he took the stairs by two, gripping the railing with one hand, the towel to his side with the other. Racing into the main office he spied Cordelia filing her nails.

"Are you going to get that?" The droplets coming off his body splashed on the flooring, a few bouncing back onto his legs. He hadn't had time to properly dry his hair and it stuck out in a wide array of acute angles accented by some ninety degree ones.

Cordelia peered up at him, one eyebrow raised, "I thought about it yeah." She went back to filing, the answering machine picking up. "Oops?"

Angel threw a hand up in surrender, leaning forward towards the machine as if it would somehow make the message more audible. He never was too good with technology although he did try. Angel's cell phone was currently sitting at the bottom of Los Angeles County's finest sewage processing plant. He figured it would get better signal down there, since it was, in fact, a piece of crap. Alright, he tried **sometimes**. Heck, he was just glad he was able to master the microwave. Although the popcorn button and preset meat buttons were still rather daunting.

"_I don't want to make a potato, I just want to microwave a nice, normal mug of pig's blood! … It says press reset, what the hell does that mean?! I'll give you reset!" He began furiously shaking the machine, the few things he'd had stored on top of it now decorating the floor. "Reset that!"_

_Cordelia smirked, stepping into the kitchen, "The Dark Avenger avenging the microwave? Let me tell you, it gives a whole new meaning to Rage Against The Machine."_

_He froze, eyes wide as the realization he'd been caught sunk in. "I don't get it, I can survive a hell dimension, but I can't get my microwave off the potato preset? What ever happened to the ones with the two dials?"_

"_Uhm, the 1970s ended and avocado went out of style." She moved towards the microwave, stepping over a few containers and cooking utensils on the way. Bending slightly she pressed the clear button, smirking as the small screen said a flashing HELLO! _

_He sighed, defeated by technology again. "Every time there's some piece of technology I get used to, it becomes obsolete." He turned, frowning at the mocking 'HELLO!'. "Now, how do I do this?"_

"_Maybe if it didn't take you a decade to learn how to use something, that would happen less. Just saying." Punching in a minute and twenty seconds she pressed start. "Think you can handle that fang boy?" _

"Angel?" The voice on the answering machine brought him out of his memory and into the present. He knew the voice, grabbing the phone up almost too fast for Cordelia to see. "Hello?"

Cordelia's brows knotted together, taking in the half naked form of her employer for the first time [today, anyways]. One brow raised slightly as she tried to peer past the desk, tuning him out completely.

Angel put the receiver to his chest, knowing full and well what she was up to. "Cordelia, what are you doing?"

Her gaze flashed quickly to his face as she folded her hands and plastered a trademark smile on her face. "Trying to guess the thread count on that lovely ensemble."

The front door rattled open as Angel began talking into the phone again.

Cordelia peered at her nails, the daily paper tossed onto her desk causing her to jump a little.

"I see your very hard at work today, Cordelia." The British accent filled the room with a strange warmth nobody could replicate.

Cordelia rolled her eyes, "Unlike you, I take pride in my appearance instead of taking pride in looking like some frumpy little librarian. And my works already done, buster!"

"My aim is to take up the looks of a," Wesley placed his hands at his hips, puffing out his chest slightly, "Rogue Demon Hunter." His gaze traveled off towards the window, trying his best to hold a straight face. His outfit on the other hand did scream librarian; dark blue button down and khaki pants surely to be found filing away volumes between towering shelves.

Cordelia's lower lip quivered to hold back an outburst of laughter and instead she snorted, "Yeah, I see that's working for you Wes."

Wesley visibly pouted at this, his chest deflating. "I can recall a time when you found my boyishly good looks and librarian wardrobe sexy and irresistible."

One eye closed slightly as if in thought, the nail file pausing to rest on her pinky nail. "Now all that comes to mind is frumpy and annoying."

"Yeah, I'll be there. Just… I don't know, lock yourself in the bathroom or something." The voice on the other end was agitated at his lack of emotion to their situation. "B- uh, I have to go." Angel hung up the phone before he could hear the others reply, "Cordelia, librarians can be sexy." He would've flushed at the thought if he could. "Paris, huh?" The other two obviously had no idea what he was referencing and probably wouldn't like to know the number of Kama Sutra positions involving a red headed librarian Angel had couitus-ing through his mind just then. "Morning Wesley." Gripping the towel a little tighter he moved towards the elevator, sliding the gate closed. "Try to answer the phone when it rings, Cordelia." He pushed the button to start the descent, speaking over the working mechanism, "Even if you are taking pride in your appearance." _'Which suits you so- NO. BAD. ANGEL!'_

He wasn't sure what they were bickering about, but he could hear them from all the way in his bedroom. Shutting the door behind himself he went to the armoire, taking out a fresh pair of black boxer briefs and black ankle socks. His fingers ran over the neck of a bottle, smiling at the memory it brought him. "Double malt scotch. You cheap Irish bastard." Bending slightly he slid the briefs on first in case Cordelia decided to accidentally get a better look. Closing the double doors he opened the top drawer getting a pair of black slacks and tossing them onto the bed. Shutting the drawer he moved to the closet grabbing a dark red button down and shrugged it on. Putting the socks on he had in his hand he went to the bed, shoving his legs into the pants. He zippered them half way and cursed, going back to the closet for a belt. He finished zipping and fastening the hook to the dress pants as he slid the belt through the loops finally closing it around his hips.

Angel could feel the pang of hunger, the need to replenish and he moved to the kitchen, smiling at the spot in the linoleum that was peeling. Cordelia never did come clean about it, but he was almost positive she'd taken a knife to it. He wasn't sure why he hadn't bothered to get it fixed. To be perfectly honest he didn't plan on it either. Angel found that objects held memory sometimes more vividly than he and he found beauty in their wear as the years passed. Even with a photographic memory the pictures tended to fade around the edges, their every detail becoming unclear.

Opening the fridge he frowned, "Dammit." Shutting it harder than he'd wanted he ran his hands through his damp hair. "CORDELIA!" He heard her chair move, sandals flopping across the floor to the stairs and finally to stand before him. "There's no blood."

"Remember I told you I had a thing the other afternoon and I couldn't pick it up." She swayed a little bit, causing the white knee length skirt to bustle about her slightly.

"What thing?" Desperation. "I'm pretty sure you didn't mention it."

"Yeah your what? Two hundred and fifty-"

"Forty seven!"

"Right, whatever," She pushed past him moving to the fridge and grabbed her lunch bag out. "how am I supposed to trust the memory of an aging, supernaturally old vampire?" Putting her bag on the counter she began to take things out, her back to him.

He had no problem remembering anything else recent in his life, especially not things pertaining to his survival. "Cordelia you don't even remember to make coffee in the morning."

Cordelia turned, half of a bologna and cheese sandwich pointing at him like her pointer would be. "It's not because I forget, I just don't want to." Taking a bite from the half she turned back around, her skirt whirling to catch up with her.

Angel watched her bite into it, "Oh that is so unfair."

"But, lucky for you," She turned, a plastic bag in hand, held out towards him. "Cordelia Chase happens to be the best secretary in L.A."

He raised a brow and took the bag. It felt heavier than it needed to be. Peering inside he raised a brow, "You brought me a bag full of other bags."

She rolled her eyes moving to stand next to him, mouth full of food threatening to fall out or fall down her esophagus. "NO you big ass head!" Cordy punched him in the chest.

He touched his forehead at that, wishing so badly he could see his reflection. And later, rubbed his peck lightly, "Ow, hey!"

"Take the bags out!"

Taking a few steps closer he placed the parcel on the table. Several plastic bags later he found himself staring at a water bottle that had been duct taped shut, filled with pigs blood. "Huh… maybe you are a pretty good secretary after all."

Cordy smiled wide at this, punching him again in the chest.

"Ow!" He rubbed lightly, his feelings hurt more than he actually was. "Why is it when your mad at me I get punched and then when your smiling at me… I also get punched?" Staring at the water bottle for a moment he returned his gaze back to a wide smiling Cordelia. "What's with the duct tape?" He raised a brow, putting his hands up should she decide to punch again. That was odd, he had to admit. Cordy punching? He'd brood about it's hidden meanings at a later time.

"Ew, Angel I can't believe you even have to ask me that." Moving back to the counter she took up the other half of bologna and cheese. Since she'd been working for Angel the pay had been little, but at least she could eat.

"And the ten thousand bags?"

"Please," She physically shook herself at this, pushing herself up to sit atop the counter, "if that would've spilled in my lunch, ugh! Make me vomit while I'm eating." Pausing a second she nearly inhaled the second half, grabbing her juice box afterwards. Sipping from the straw she swung her legs a bit, fixing her gaze on the slight blur of color her toenails made moving at this speed.

Pouring the contents of the stained water bottle into a coffee mug he placed it into the microwave and selected the appropriate time. Leaning against his side of the counter with his arms crossed over his chest he took a moment to finally admire Cordelia's outfit while she wasn't paying attention. Tight black tank top that showed off her, ahem, upper features and just enough belly button to make him wonder what her skin would taste like. Something close to sunlight he imagined. The non setting him on fire kind, of course. The shirt was accompanied by a knee length white skirt to show off her tan legs and perfectly manicured toes in black platform sandals. The microwave beeped, causing him to jump slightly before retrieving the mug. Putting it to his mouth he sipped at it. Pigs blood was certainly an acquired taste for the ensouled vampire.

"So, who was on the phone before?"

Angel coughed, a bit of blood sticking in his throat causing him to clear it before speaking. "No one. It was nobody." He took another sip, hoping she'd drop it.

"Somehow I have a hard time believing you spent ten minutes on the phone talking to nobody, Angel." She finished her juice box, tossing it in the direction of the garbage can and clapped lightly as it went in. "Besides it sounded like Buffy."

Dammit. He should've known better by now. "No it wasn't."

"Pfft!" She hopped down from the counter, walking to stand directly in front of him. "Look mister! I can tell when your lying to me, your forehead does this little crinkly thing and your nose twitches! And I can tell when I hear Buffy's voice on the answering machine! Even if it is just 'Angel?' it had that horrible mopey cry Buffy sound to it."

He put the mug down on the counter, loosing interest in it and pushed past her. "It's none of your business Cordelia." He heard her flopping after him as he made his way to the bedroom.

"Oh it is SO my business since you're my boss and would totally come to rip my head from my beautiful body once you've gotten your jollies in!" She stood in the center of the room, hands fixed on her hips like they were crazy glued there.

He sighed, resting his forehead on the armoire to momentarily gather his thoughts. Why can't things with Cordelia ever be simple. _'Go away Cordelia.' 'Okay.'_ Not likely_._ Turning he flexed his jaw muscles a bit, something he had unintentionally picked up from Doyle. "Look, she wanted to know if I had a book Giles could use for reference. But I don't have it, I told her to check out some of the local shops and for something that is none of your business I sure am giving you a lot of information. Huh…"

"Angel." Her eyes narrowed, fixing on his now darting gaze. She moved her position, at times very awkwardly, to meet his gaze at all times. "I know you better than you think, Angel. Every time you talk to Buffy you lock yourself up in this room all day drawing free hand pictures of her."

"I do not…" He almost pouted and stomped his foot on the floor like and indignant child. But he'd had a few years to properly harness self control. Kind of.

Cordelia took a step forward, pressing herself against him, keeping her gaze locked with his. Reaching behind him on top of the armoire she grabbed a notepad and opened it up, exposing a random page filled with sketchings of Buffy. "Yeah? What's this?"

At first her closeness caused him to stiffen his frame, hold in a nonexistent breath. But now with the sketches thrown in his face he turned his gaze away, moving to sit on the bed. "Your right, but I deny it."

Cordelia tossed the book carelessly onto the armoire, moving to sit next to him. "I know little cry Buffy was your biggest love, Angel, but you have to let go." What was she doing? Cordelia Chase giving somewhat nice advice? "Or you'll die alone." That's more like it. "Dust. Poof… whatever it is you do, you'll do it alone."

Angel smiled at her attempt to appear concerned and stayed silent for a moment, picking lightly at his thumb. "I can't. She will never remember it."

"Yes you can, Angel. And Buffy will always remember you." She placed a hand in his to stop his nervous movements. It wasn't often Angel talked like this with anyone, let alone her. "Wait, you said it. What it?!"

Angel had hoped she'd miss his slip. He always had hated Freud. He was a really weird guy and that was just the tip of the iceberg. Sighing greatly he realized he couldn't brood his way out of this one. "I had the Oracles erase a day from history so that no one will remember it except for me." Receiving a confused stare from her he continued. "Buffy showed up, we killed a demon but some of its blood mixed with mine making me human. Me and Buffy had a day together, filled with food and…" His gaze darted nervously, if he could blush he would. "…things and then I had it erased."

Cordelia's eyes looked as if they were watering, her voice crackling a bit as she spoke. "Why Angel?"

My, my his little Cordy was growing up. Very slowly. And sometimes backwards. "I couldn't fight to defend myself none the less save anyone. I'd be putting too many innocent lives at stake."

"Wow, that's…" She took her hand from his, using her thumb to wipe under a bit of running eye liner, "So… sucks!" She returned her hand to his, giving it a little squeeze. "I'm sorry Angel, I didn't know."

And yet so the same she was.

"So am I." Wesley was leaning in the doorway, Angel had heard him arrive just as he'd begun telling the story. Glad to not have to repeat himself, Angel had just continued on.

He nodded and stood. "Get to work, both of you."


	2. The Points Game

**Chapter Two: The Points Game**

**AN: **_And so the infernal points game begins. Drunken happenings ensue. YES! Three points for me, automatically._

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own any of Joss Whedon or Mutanty Enemy's characters. I do not profit from this work of fiction._

Wesley Wyndham Price studiously asleep and at your service. His legs were stretched out over the chairs in the sitting area, book resting against his slowly rising and falling chest. Cordelia watched on, chin resting in her hands, deciding the best way to wake him up. His chin swooped down to meet his chest as a light snore filled the office. Sometimes Cordy could still see the man she had been infatuated with not so many years ago. Returning her gaze to the computer screen and her yahoo account she figured she'd let him rest a little while longer. He'd been working all day, trying to decipher a text Giles had emailed a picture of. Truth be told he had Willow email it, Giles had never trusted technology to begin with and especially not after it tried to murder a good number of the students at Sunnydale High School.

Angel shrugged his jacket on, his superior senses telling him that the sun was almost gone from the sky. He took the stairs up, fidgeting with the spring loaded stakes hidden in his jackets cuffs.

"Where are you going tall, dark and brooding?" Cordelia didn't bother to look up from the monitor, already aware of where he was headed by the nervous look on his face, or rather lack of one.

"Sunnydale…" Angel shoved his hands in the dusters pockets, pulling the left one out immediately as he realized he had Buffy's cross in it. Shaking and flexing his hand for a moment he stepped past her desk stopping at the sight of the ex watcher snoozing in a most precarious position. "Maybe we should wake Wesley up? He'd probably be more comfortable at home."

Cordelia rolled her head to the side slightly to look at Wesley. "Wesley, your going to be late for school and your library books are overdue!"

Wesley jumped up falling from his carefully balanced position, the book flying from his chest to the floor beside him. "Yes, right." Removing his glasses he rubbed at his eyes and pulled himself to stand upright.

Cordelia let a little laugh escape as she turned her attention back to the computer. "Me three points, Wesley zero."

Angel raised a brow and picked the book up, handing it to him. "Wes, I'm out for the night I'll be back before dawn."

Before Wesley could open his mouth to question he spied Cordelia making a slashing motion across her neck followed by a hanging dead face. "Right then. See you when you get back."

Angel paused in the doorway and rifled in his pants pocket. "Here Wesley," He held out an envelope, "You and Cordy stick around while I'm gone." Angel ignored the loud sigh of frustration from Cordelia and pushed the envelope into Wesley's hands.

Wesley took the envelope , putting it in his back pocket and opened his mouth to speak.

"You've got to be kidding me, Angel it's going to be like hell spending _even_ **more** time with a Rogue Demon Hunter."

Wesley's brows thinned out into a straight line, matching that of his lips and he faked a smile, "Surely Angel. Strength in numbers will prevail."

Angel raised an amused brow, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "Something like that… just try not to kill each other."

Without another word Angel was off, door shut behind him, leaving Wesley and Cordelia in charge of Angel Investigations for the first time. Wesley moved to Cordelia's desk, seating himself on it and removed the envelope from his pocket. He peeked inside and saw a one hundred dollar bill. Angel didn't have this kind of money. Did he? If he did he was certainly keeping it well hidden from them. "What is it with these points you keep scoring every time you manage to make my face go completely devoid of emotion?"

"Nothing really." Closing out her email account she turned in the chair to face him, legs crossed. "Why, did you want to make something of it?"

"Not particularly, no."

"You scared little old Cordy's going to beat you watcher boy?"

"Game on, bitch." Wesley reached across the desk and picked up the phone. "Chinese?"

Cordy tilted her head to the side, "Chicken lo mein."

Wesley began to dial the number and placed the order to the best of his ability. "My God, it sounded like they were building the Great Wall in the background."

Cordelia smirked, propping her legs up on the desk. "Did you ask for a drink?" Her skirt swooped dangerously low, but it was her aim to win the points game.

Wesley gulped at the sight of more tanned flesh and tried to avert his gaze to her eyes, but only managed to make it to her breasts. Shaking his head he fixed his eyes on her face, "I wasn't thinking of it at the time, I'll go and get something from the corner store."

"Cordelia chase four points, Wesley one point." She looked over her nails trying to think of something she wanted to drink. A devious smirk came over her features, she knew how to make the night interesting. "How about some beers?"

Wesley raised a brow, he imagined Cordelia Chase to be many things, but not a beer drinker. "Guinness?" It certainly wasn't something he could see her agreeing to.

"Sure."

Now she was just being stubborn. _'Have it your way Miss Chase.'_ "I'll be back in five minutes." Wesley hopped off the desk and quickly made his way to the corner store.

Cordelia took her legs down and moved to the television, a stack of tapes she had brought months ago along with one that had belonged to Doyle. She picked it up and ran a hand over it's dusty cover, "Boondock Saints?" She gave off a tiny laugh, "Leave it to the Irish." She jumped a bit as the office door swung open, revealing Wesley carrying two packages from the store. Taking the movie with her she shut and locked the door behind him, following him down into Angel's apartment.

Wesley placed the bags on the coffee table by the couch and unpacked them. Two twelve packs and a bag of Doritos. He seated himself at the end of the couch opposite her and opened two bottles, handing one off. "So," He lifted the bottle to his lips, taking a long swig. "where was Angel off to in such a hurry?"

Cordelia rolled her eyes at the question and matched his swig. "Sunnydale."

"Ah. So it was Buffy on the telephone this morning." Wesley took another swig, determined to not be out swigged by a girl. Especially not a one Cordelia Chase.

She only matched his swig again. "How did you know?" She took a panting breath, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand and belched rather loudly into it. Her eyes went wide and she shrugged as to say excuse me. "Finally get a brain?"

"Aha… ha… ha no." Wesley finished the beer in his hand and opened another for himself and one for her. "Buffy ranks highest in the things we do not talk about in front of Angel category."

Cordy finished her beer too and drank the second one to the halfway mark. She had never drank Guinness before and hadn't realized it was such a heavy beer. Holding the tape up she held a hopeful smile on her face, "Wanna-" A loud knock on the upstairs door interrupted her. "Why don't I start this while you get the food?" Not waiting for his answer she stood to turn the television and VCR on.

Wesley got up and made his way to the office door. He peeked out of the blinds before opening it and handed off the appropriate amount of money to the delivery man before locking up and heading downstairs. As he hit the last step he belched loud enough for it to echo and he set the food on the coffee table. He unpacked it, handing the right containers to Cordelia and keeping the right ones for himself. "So, what have you got us watching Miss Ch-uh Queen Bitch?"

Cordelia laughed at that, "Miss Queen Bitch, I like it!" She sat down and kicked off her sandals, fast forwarding through the previews. She frowned as the title came up, "Wild Things?"

Wesley blushed, "This is an excellent movie, full of half naked women."

"Wes! You perv!"

"There's nothing wrong with having a healthy sexual appetite, Cordelia."

"Somehow I don't see you having much of a sexual anything, Wesley."

Wesley abandoned the carton of food on the table and slid himself over to the other side of the couch, hovering over her with his hands planted on either side of her head. Using one of his hands he cupped one side of her face, tilting it to the appropriate angle. _'It must be the Guinness talking, oh well it's a good enough excuse.' _Placing his lips lightly on hers at first, he slid his hand to the back of her head, deepening the kiss until she parted her lips. Wesley pulled away with a gentle nibble on her bottom lip at that, returning to his side of the couch and his orphaned Chinese food. "Wesley Wyndham Price three points, Miss Cordelia Queen Bitch Chase four."

Cordelia wasn't sure what was happening until it was too late, his hand guiding her in a forceful yet gentle manner, his mouth soft and rough and perfect. '_Wait, perfect?!'_ Oh good God, this was not going to be good for her image. But right now she didn't care as long as it didn't stop. She hadn't been kissed like this since- _'HEY, just where do you think your going, buster!'_ But it was too late, the moment was over and Wesley was more interested in the skanks on television washing their teachers car. She felt the slight fever leave her cheeks and she straightened herself, taking up her food as well. "Two points."

"I'd say that was at least worth two points in itself, if not three." Wesley placed his container on the table and resorted to the Guinness instead.

"Eh, I guess your right." And he was, her toes were still slightly curled.

Wesley smirked into the neck of the bottle and finished it, opening another, the thirst from the Chinese food attacking him full force.

Cordelia, not one to be beaten finished her bottle as well, taking one and opening it herself this time. "Now I know I'm buzzed."

Wesley raised a brow tilting his head toward her but not averting his gaze from the television. "Why is that?"

"Because I just imagined you doing well... Maybe I'm running a fever too."

Wesley smiled greatly at this, "Perhaps later, I'm busy watching this right now." He kicked his shoes off, his stockinged feet resting on the table.

The movie was almost over and the beer was almost gone. But not by Cordelia Chase's doing, no. She was sprawled across the couch, head in Wesley's lap fighting to stay awake. Wesley ran a hand through her hair, finishing another beer. "Wesley -hiccup- f-hic-four, Cordelia four." Taking his glasses off he folded them and placed them on the table, running his hands through his hair and messing it about.

Cordelia looked up at him, too tired to argue points and admired the way he looked. "You look really good like that Wesley."

He raised a brow, "Perhaps you **are** running a fever." He stood and took her up into his arms, knowing she wouldn't be able to make it to the bedroom. Wesley wasn't a big drinker, but he did have quite a tolerance and felt only mildly intoxicated. Stopping in front of the television he waited as Cordelia stuck her arm out, pushing the right buttons to shut everything off. Continuing to the bedroom he fumbled across the room, shifting his and her weight to turn the light on. He laid Cordelia down gently, pulling the covers around her.

"Where are you going?"

He turned, the disheveled look very attractive on him, and raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

Cordelia shifted and held her hand out, grasping his pointer finger. "Stay."

Wesley said nothing simply because there was nothing to say at this point and after shutting off the light he climbed under the covers with her.

"Queen Bitch five," She snuggled close to him, enjoying the feeling of not being alone in the bed. "Dork Boy four."

Wesley chuckled and turned on his side, draping an arm over her. "You asked me to stay, so technically-"

"Alright, Dork Boy also five." Cordelia entwined her fingers with his, "Good night Wesley."

"Good night Miss Queen Bitch." He let the room grow silent purposely before adding, "Wesley six."


	3. Doritos Hang Over

**Chapter Three: Doritos Hang Over**

**AN: **_Cordelia may be a bit out of character in this chapter, as she may or may not have been through the majority of this story. Deal with it ;]. Review, please ;]_

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own any of Joss Whedon or Mutanty Enemy's characters. I do not profit from this work of fiction._

The sun was almost up, it's rays just peeking over the horizon as Angel pulled into his usual parking space and made his way into the basement apartment. Locking up behind himself he shrugged his jacket off, hanging it on the coat stand he kept near the entryway. The remnants of a now healing bruise decorated his upper right cheek, a few assorted scrapes adorning his body. But the epicenter of pain formulated itself on his left peck, a hole the size of a half dollar interrupting the natural pale tones of his flesh. He hadn't bothered to bandage it, the holes composite on either side of his shirt allowing the world to see it. It had been a long time since he'd been staked in that precise location and he remembered it stinging a lot less.

Going to the fridge he grabbed a packet of blood and emptied it into his mug, yes this would help the healing process. Angel placed it into the microwave, careful to avoid the potato setting and strummed his fingers lightly on the counter top as he waited for it. _'A watched pot never boils.'_ Turning his back to the infernal device he spied the coffee table in the living room. It was littered with Guinness bottles and Chinese food cartons. He sighed and moved in it's direction, picking up the garbage and placing it in the empty Chinese delivery bag. _'Doritos? And Wesley's glasses…'_ Fingering the bag in question he raised a brow at the flavor. _'Cool Ranch? Wesley's shoes…huh…'_ If the bag had been opened he'd hazard a sniff, but no sense in making assumably good chips stale. _'Cordelia's…flops? Flip flops? Ugh they used to be called sandals at some point, didn't they?'_ Leaving the bag on the table he brought the garbage with him into the kitchen, the beeping of the microwave signaling a wide grin on the vampires normally stoic features. Taking his mug he headed for his bedroom, pausing in the doorway to take in the sight before him. _'My sheets. All 350 threads. Have mercy.'_ He cleared his throat much louder than needed and watched the two bodies stir.

Wesley was the first to move, murmuring something about Mars bars before glancing to the figure in the doorway. And then the headache kicked in. "Ohhh, Angel." Taking great efforts to sit at the side of the bed he held his head in his hands.

"Rough night Wes?" Angel smirked at the rumpled clothing adorning Wesley. It wasn't that it didn't suit him, it was just out of character for the Englishman.

"You could say so, yes." He fumbled about his person, searching for his glasses. Looking over his shoulder he peered at the still sleeping Cordelia and smirked evilly. "They're giving away free COACH BAGS!"

Cordelia sprang up on all fours, "Max Factor lip plumper!" Blinking a bit and looking around at her surroundings she blushed a bit, "Awkwardness…" Scooting herself to the edge of the bed she stood, stretching enough to cause her back to crack in a frighteningly loud manner.

"Wesley seven points." He pinched the bridge of his nose and ran his hands through his hair, not yet ready to stand.

Angel raised a brow at the points thing but decided not to ask, as he was sure, the answer he didn't want to hear. He moved slightly as Cordelia brushed past him in search of her shoes and purse. "Um, I'm not going to ask what went on in my bed last night…out of respect and the health of my own mind, but whatever you did Wesley, your footing the cleaning bill for the bed sheets." He took a sip from his mug, knowing full and well the last thing on a hung-over man's mind was doing laundry. "Today." Another sip. "Like, after breakfast."

Wesley peered at Angel from the corner of his eye, standing slowly and only managed to shake his head in agreement. "I assure you nothing happened, but if it will make your mental state improve I am of service to your utmost desires." His head rocked and rolled as he made his way into the kitchen, "Just not yet, it's too early."

Cordelia hurried past them into Angel's bathroom disappearing to her morning routine. "Still no mirror? Angel, honestly?!"

He smirked and pushed himself off of the door frame, making his way back into the kitchen. Moving to the cabinets he found what he was looking for, "Wes, sit." Taking a glass from the drain board he filled it with water, placing it down in front of the seat Wesley was headed for.

"Yes sir." He sat, taking the glass into his hands and sipped, the cool water doing wonders for his obscenely parched mouth.

"Hold out your hand."

Wesley obliged.

Angel placed three extra strength Tylenol into Wesley's palm and placed the bottle back into the cabinet. "Eggs and bacon?"

"Toast?"

Angel finished the contents of the coffee mug and placed it into the sink, gathering what he'd need to fix breakfast.

Cordelia sat on Angel's couch, feet curled under her as the noises of Angel cleaning up mixed with the television. She glanced over to Wesley who sat on the opposite end of the couch, feet propped up on the table, eyes threatening to close at any moment. Switching to the news station she pulled a small throw blanket around her. "Shit."

Angel's head popped up from scrubbing the fry pan he'd used, not sure whether to be concerned or not. "What?"

"It's December eighteenth already."

It was lost on him. Completely. "And?"

"Christmas is a week away! And then…"

Realization. **Doyle**. _'Fuck.'_ He shut off the water, placing the pan on the drain board to dry and moved to stand behind Cordelia. "It's been a year already?"

"Yeah, I guess so." Her brows knotted together, a pout forming on her lips.

He placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze, coming around the couch to sit next to her. "It'll be alright."

Wesley snored lightly, his glasses sliding down the bridge of his nose.

Cordelia could feel the tears begin to well up and simply buried her head in Angel's chest.

The simple motion, the need for affection and closeness caused a sharp intake of breath, the slight pressure placed on the wound enough to make all of his muscles tighten at once.

Cordelia jumped back, "What is it?" She barely got through with the question as her eyes fixed on the violent hole. "Angel, your hurt. Why didn't you say something?" She picked up the bottom of his shirt, lifting it high to his shoulder to get a better look.

Angel shifted under her touch, unsure of how it should make him feel. "I uh… had to make breakfast?"

One brow raised in slight annoyance, she peered up at him through her eyelashes before returning her attentions to his wound. "You've got splinters in it Angel. Who staked you this time?"

She made it sound like he made it a habit of getting staked on purpose. "I thought I got them all out…" Moving slowly he removed the shirt, balling it up and discarding it onto the table. "Buffy did."

"She better be glad I wasn't there. She can't just go around staking my boss whenever she feels like it!" Reaching for her purse she retrieved her first aid kit, which was stocked with a few things most first aid kits would never see, and her tweezers.

"I deserved it." He stood, moving to the bedroom and lay on the bed. "I called her a bitch." He suddenly wished they were still talking about Doyle. "Among other things."

Following behind him she could see the hole went through his body, "Yeesh." Turning all the lights on in the bedroom she saw no other way fit to get an appropriate angle aside from straddling him, so she did. Plus, how many times would she be able to do it and get away with it? "She totally deserved it after what she put you through and that in no way warrants a stake through your peck, Angel. One day your going to have to stop defending her."

Angel's eyes widened at Cordelia's position, not being able to help moving his hips slightly at the contact. '_Think of horrible things… like dog food and pistachios.'_ Angel never did like pistachios as a human and now their existence just annoyed him. Too distracted to argue with the woman seated precariously atop him he simply said, "Your right." And was Cordelia Chase smirking at his discomfort with the situation? He wouldn't put it completely past her, no.

Cordelia began to gingerly remove the splinters, discarding them onto the bedside table top. She had to admit she enjoyed the way it made him squirm, the contact awkward but not unwanted. She could remember the first time she saw him at The Bronze, she knew she had to have him. After all he was the best drink of tall, dark and handsome in Sunnydale at the time. But then _Buffy_ weaseled her twitchy little nose in and snatched Angel up for herself. '_Bitch.'_ "So what exactly happened while you were in Sunnydale?" She felt his hips buck underneath her, caused by the removal of a splinter almost as long as the tweezers. '_Oh my God, Angel's got a iffy!' _A slight blush covered the apples of her cheeks, to think a sexually cut off vampire would be turned on by her. _'Okay, slightly less proud now. It's been a long time since he's seen this position.'_

Angel would have blushed if he could've, the signs of his desire at the moment more obvious than he wanted. But Cordelia was a grown woman, surely she'd be mature and understand why. Right? "I'd really rather not talk about it, Cordy. It's personal."

She stopped and sat upright, causing the contact between their sensitive areas to be unavoidable. "Right now, I don't think personal is an issue between us Angel." Hiding a smirk, she scooted up a little bit, getting a feel for just how well endowed her boss was.

He caught a small moan in his throat, her movements bringing every x-rated thought he could muster to the front of his mind. '_No, no dog food…nipples…pistachios.' 'Sweet salted pistachio legs.' 'Pistachio legs, seriously?' 'No.' 'La la la la I'm tuning you out!' 'I __**am**__ you!' _Angel shook his head at that, his self was answering his self. This is bad. "Your certainly making progress towards a raise."

Feeling the tightening in his dress pants beneath her she smirked. "I think I just got one. And what a nice one it is." She moved to stand over him. "Turn over, I need to get the splinters out of your back."

Angel covered the crotch of his pants with both hands, risking an unnoticed glance up her skirt. '_Great idea Captain Forehead, as if that's going to make the downstairs situation any better.' _His eyes shifted nervously about the room, to anything that was not Cordelia Chase. "I'm not sure if I can… right now."

"Says the man who got staked last night."

"Point taken." Slowly he turned over, finding even less comfort face down and spoke into the pillows, "No pun intended."

Cordelia sat herself on his behind, admiring his tattoo before getting to work. She wasn't sure of exactly what the creature was, but made a mental note to inquire about it later. There weren't many splinters on this side so it wouldn't take her long.

Wesley stopped in the doorway of the bedroom, eyebrow raised as he watched Cordelia remove tiny splinters from Angel's back. And was that a slight pang of jealousy he just felt? '_Surely a side effect of the hangover. Or a heart attack. Most certainly am not jealous of Angel.'_

"Done." She placed the tweezers on the table and stood over him again as he rolled to his back, giving a perfect view of what she contained under her skirt, before stepping down.

'_Perhaps a little jealous.'_ He shifted nervously as Cordelia's gaze landed happily on him.

"Hey dork boy." She pushed past him into the living room, "Angel I am **so** not cleaning up those bloody splinters. And you can put my tweezers back in my first aid kit when your done washing them."

Angel, hands still over his crotch, sighed, thrusting his head back into the pillow. Shifting to sit upright he noticed a small pool of blood on the blankets. "Wes, can you take these before that sets in?"

He nodded and waited for Angel to get up before gathering them up into one large bundle. "I'll be back shortly." Wesley headed for the basement entrance and took Angel's car keys from the duster on the coat rack before locking up behind himself.

"You know it would be nice if we celebrated Christmas this year Angel… it would be nice to have one great day before the twenty eighth."

Picking up the last of the splinters he headed into the kitchen and dumped them into the garbage. He mulled the thought of Christmas around for a few moments, making his way for Cordelia's handy dandy first aid kit. Taking out the roll of gauze and medical tape he sat on the couch beside her. "Alright."

Cordelia couldn't help the elated sound that escaped her chest and she took the gauze and tape from Angel. She put them down beside her and leaned over him, rummaging in the kit for the small pair of scissors she kept in there.

Her sudden closeness was alarming, perhaps not as alarming as the type he'd experienced in the bedroom, but still alarming in it's own right. Closing his eyes for a moment he inhaled her scent. Coconut and vanilla. Angel never was a fan of such sweet scents as coconut, but on her it was nice. Opening his eyes as she sat back down he scratched his head. "So what do you think Wesley wants for Christmas?"

"Pfft, a life?" Cutting a few squares of gauze she pressed them lightly to his chest, fixing them with tape. "I don't know, probably some musty books to add to his collection."

"Helpful but somehow not at all." He turned around so she could bandage his back. "I was thinking Wesley and I could go and get the tree and you can get some decorations or something." Angel was afraid to go shopping with Cordelia and opted himself into the less time consuming choice. "Might as well get presents while we're out."

Cordelia smiled at the thought of Christmas. "Sounds good to me, but you better be buying the decorations buddy."


	4. Shopping List

**Chapter Four: Shopping List**

**AN:** _Nothing really to say this time, just that Angel with a cart full of presents on Holiday check out lines = HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!_

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own any of Joss Whedon or Mutanty Enemy's characters. I do not profit from this work of fiction._

"So, Wes what about this one?" They had been to four different lots already and Angel was quite the impatient type at the moment. So much for less time consuming.

Wesley put a thumb and forefinger to his chin, standing a few steps back to look at the tree in question properly. "I think it looks too bushy."

Angel threw his hands up in frustration, "It's the most lively one we've seen and there's not much left on any of the lots we've been to. Not to mention the last two you picked out were sickeningly reminiscent to Charlie Brown's Christmas tree."

Wesley raised a brow, "You've actually seen that? I've caught you being semi up to date on things? Wow." He grabbed the tree at the top, waiting for Angel to grab the bottom.

Angel took up the bottom of it and made his way to the car with it, moving perhaps a little too fast for Wesley. "It was on Buffy's must see Christmas movie-a-thon list." He reached into his pocket and removed his wallet as one of the workers came to tie the tree's branches down. Angel made sure to tip him well and got into the driver's side, a few branches slipping out to poke him in the side of the face.

Wesley batted the branches out of his face and resigned by holding a hand out to keep them from his line of vision at least. "Yes, a convertible was definitely the most practical choice in cars."

Angel could feel Wesley's narrowed eyes staring at him through the branches. "It looks good on me." He pulled out from the parking space and would've died to see what a picture they made to the other drivers.

The rest of the ride was spent in silence, Wesley's eyes the only thing peering out from behind the branches on the passenger side. Angel at least had an excuse as to why the tree was angled so severely into Wesley, '_I'm driving, I have to see.'_ Before he could take the keys from the ignition the tree shifted into his face -no doubt Wesley's doing-, a stray needle poking him in the eye and causing it to water. No. This wasn't happening. He didn't cry. Ever. Maybe once.

Wesley got out of the car, lifting the top of the tree towards him and held back a bit of laughter at the sight of Angel wiping furiously under his right eye, attempting to hide the wetness. Which failed miserably as there were two needles stuck to his cheek from the salty moisture. Adjusting his voice he nodded towards the back of the tree.

Angel got out of the car, blinking in an awkwardly rapid fashion that made his cheek twitch. Taking up the back of the tree he followed Wesley to the apartment door and only dropped his part of the tree to unlock the door. Once inside with the tree they stuck it in the elevator for the time being. "Tree stand."

"What?" Wesley wiped his hand free of a few needles, frowning as they stuck together a bit from sap.

"We don't have a tree stand."

Wesley fished in his pockets for his cell, dialing Cordelia and frowning at the seemingly never ending ring he received. "She's not answering." He handed the phone to Angel, "Keep trying, I've got to get this sap off my hands."

Angel's eyes almost fell out of his head as the cell phone was pressed unwillingly into his hands. "Um…" Then it vibrated. Angel threw it out of his hands, watching it clatter to the floor a few feet in front of him.

Wesley turned, a very unhappy expression darting to Angel.

"It… wiggled." He said helplessly and went to pick it up, frowning immediately at the screen. "New text message?"

"Open it?" Wesley turned, headed to the bathroom.

"Okay…" Angel pressed the ok button, the letters before him only adding to his confusion. "The only words I can make out are hi and Target."

Wesley dried his hands off and came to stand before Angel, taking the device into his own hands. "Me too…"

'_Hi, in Target, bbs c u -Cordy'_

"Well," Wesley made his way for the still open door, "I guess we go to Target."

"At least we won't have to pick her up later."

-------------------

Upon entering the store Wesley took out his cell and texted Cordelia, 'Where are you?'

Angel observed the seemingly simple task Wesley had just performed, "How did you do that?"

"It's simple really," Upon taking in the confused and fearsome face of his boss he smirked. "I'll show you when we've got more time." The phone vibrated and he opened it, only to close it a moment later. "She's by the toys."

Angel gulped at the thought of a new technology to master and followed behind Wesley with his hands in his pockets. The Christmas song that came over the loudspeakers in the department store caused him to hum along, which only got him a strange look from Wesley. "What? I like The Drifters!" Spotting Cordelia he decided to not even bother explaining himself any further. She had a basket full of ornaments and assorted other decorations. "Good thing I brought my credit card."

"How on earth did you get a credit card?" Wesley stopped next to Cordelia, peering into the basket, "Ooh candy canes."

"Yeah and why didn't I know about it?" Cordelia batted Wesley's hands out of the cart, "Peppermints, how very old and librarian like of you."

"Cordy six." Came Wesley's only reply.

"We need a tree stand…" Angel looked about him, the pink colored Barbie aisle giving him a slight headache.

"I knew you wouldn't remember one yourself so," She nudged a box at the bottom of her cart with her toe. "Men. Speaking of which…go away I have to pick out presents for the two of you."

A boyish grin covered Wesley's face, "Presents?"

"Yes dork boy, that's what us Americans do at Christmas. Fill stockings, give presents and GE- catch me!"

Angel wrapped his arms around Cordelia as her body convulsed, loosing all control of itself as the vision wracked her body and senses. He wrapped himself protectively around her, running a hand calmingly over her head. "Shh, it's okay. I'm here."

Wesley looked about nervously, "Ah… it'll be okay! They'll have limited edition Barbie at Sears!"

Cordelia's eyes slowly fluttered open, "Ugh," She stayed a moment in Angel's arms before allowing herself to be helped upright. "That wasn't so bad, actually." She rubbed at her temples, "Aside from the whole thing… I guess a mild vision would be appropriate for Christmas."

"What did you see?" Angel picked up her purse that was thrown to the floor and placed it in the wagon.

"You and some woman I don't know talking." She leaned on the shopping cart, "Something about day walking? And some things I totally didn't need to know about you…" Retrieving the small notepad and pen she kept in her purse -just for these moments- she scribbled out an address. "Or her for that matter."

Angel raised a brow at the mention of day walking and the other at the mention of things Cordelia didn't need to know. "Huh?"

"Fleshy bits… and you better NOT mister!" She pointed a finger at Angel but it was lost as Wesley took charge of the conversation.

"Day walking?!" He looked from Cordelia to Angel. "Angel, do you have any idea what that could mean?"

Angel smiled, a honey glow gracing his eyes momentarily, "Yes…"

"It didn't seem too urgent, so… maybe we can finish shopping first?"

"I've waited this long, what's a few more hours?" Angel put the piece of paper into his pocket and broke off from them. "I'll meet you at the registers." He made his way to the front of the store and stopped at the jewelry counter, Cordelia deserved a bit of finery after the past year. The selection was rather limited, but Angel knew what he was looking for the moment he saw it. A silver bracelet that had a three stone setting in the middle, two containing small diamonds and the one in the middle a small ruby. The girl behind the counter looked frazzled from the past few days of customers stampeding through the small department store, but she smiled warmly at Angel. He guessed her to be in her early thirties, the few crows feet in the creases of her eyes telling the story of a hard life.

"Can I help you honey?"

He pointed down into the display case at the bracelet, "I'd like to have that gift wrapped, please."

"Sure." The girl moved fast, her motions obviously routine in their deftness.

Angel couldn't decipher her name, the first two and last letter of her name worn from the name tag, but she did do a lovely job. He stepped to the side as she rung him up and charged the small fortune to his credit card. He could almost smell the plastic burning as he returned it to it's spot in his wallet. He placed the slender box into the inner pocket of his trench coat and offered the woman a smile, "Thank you. Merry Christmas." Her happy wishes he heard over his shoulder as he headed to the electronic section of the store. He stood, a thin strand of drool threatening to slip out as the sheer amount of technology graced his keen eyes.

Shaking off the feeling of dread he headed to the section with DVDs and smirked going to the martial arts section. He and Wesley had shared a night full of martial arts movies last week, debating on who the best martial arts star was. Angel had argued for Bruce Lee, but Wesley was adamant that Jean Claude Van Damme was in fact the master. He smirked and picked up a DVD collection from both the stars in question and made his way to the registers at the beginning of the section.

Wesley stuck with Cordelia, in case she might need something he could help her with in her migrainey body achey -both words she had once used- state.

"So…" She headed in the direction of the men's wear. "What size do you think Angel is?" She stopped by the button down shirts, picking up a few different styles and holding them against Wesley as a very poor guide.

"If I had to fathom a guess… I'd say an extra large. That should provide a little give for when he's out fighting." He stood still and straight as the shirts were held up against his body, a little flutter making it's way through his abdomen as Cordelia's hands lightly touched his chest.

Picking out a dark red color, dark blue and black with velvet wings on the back she smiled at herself. Placing them in the cart atop her purse she looked to Wesley. "What do you want? I honestly have no idea." Her head pounded as she caught sight of the long check out lines.

"Anything you get would suffice."

"Why don't you let me buy you an outfit? At least you could look semi normal for once." She leaned her elbow on the cart.

He ignored the normal comment and nodded in approval. "That would do."

"What size pants?"

"Thirty waist, the length isn't really a bother." Wesley moved to the shoe section, going for the boots. He figured Angel would need a new pair some time soon.

Cordelia rolled her eyes after him and set to work headed for the jeans. Picking out a pair with a few holes she bit her lip to hold back a smile, with the right hair do it could work. Going to the shirts she picked out a dark blue striped polo. "As long as he keeps his hair ruffled…"

Wesley made quick work of his selection, a pair that closely matched the ones Angel already had at a reasonable price. But what to get Cordelia? He strummed a finger on his chin, carrying the large shoe box under his arm and headed for the jewelry section.

"Wesley!" Cordelia chimed from behind him. "Don't look!" She stopped the cart next to him, grabbing up the gifts she'd selected, "Take the cart, I'm going to pay for these."

Before he could turn around or protest, Cordelia was walking away from him, down the bedding section. Placing the boots in the section of the cart that previously held Cordelia's purse he pushed on, jewelry section in sight. The evil section in his mind cried out to be gazing in the intimates section, but he silenced that part gazing into the case before him. It wasn't long before a particular piece called his attention. A pair of silver earrings with, what he'd describe as silver dangley bits. He paid the girl behind the counter no mind as she came over and removed them from the glass case. Glancing at them once more he smiled, rather proud of himself. "Yes, those will do."

The girl placed them into a silver box, "Gift wrapped?"

"Oh yes, if you wouldn't mind." Wesley watched her and marveled at how fast she completed the task. Stepping to the side he took out his wallet, said wallet extremely happy that they were on sale for fifty dollars. He placed the tiny package into the top pocket of his jacket and returned the girl's seasons greetings with, "Yes, Merry Christma…haunna…kwanzikaah?" Blushing he used a good amount of strength to get the cart moving and steered towards the front of the store. Spotting Cordelia who was waiting with her purchases paid for and dangling at her side he steered towards her, his feet slipping a bit as the heavy cart protested his movements. "Watch this while I pay?"

Cordelia bit back a laugh watching Wesley struggle to maneuver the over weighted cart and nodded. "I'll pass it to Angel." She steered the cart towards the Vampire who was waiting by the customer service counter.

Angel sighed as he spotted Cordelia coming towards him and stepped forward only to stop short by a rather large woman in a motorized cart.

"Watch it!"

"Merry Christmas to you too…" Moving to meet Cordelia, he tucked the bag with the DVDs under his arm and took control of the cart. Or at least attempted to. "How do you steer this thing?!"

"Practice!" She smirked and held her hand out. "Give me the keys fang boy I need to de-migraine myself."

"Left jacket pocket." Angel couldn't stop the cart short and he struggled to steer it into a nearly empty check out lane. Wrapping your naked body around a Brachen demon would be easier and more pleasant than this. **Doyle**. _'Fuck.'_

Cordelia took the keys from his pocket, "Thanks!"

Wesley had just finished checking out and spotted Angel loading bags into the semi empty cart. Making his way over he raised a brow in Angel's direction, watching the vampire try and keep up with the flow of things from the cashier and failing miserably. Holding back a chuckle at the irony of the situation he stepped forward, taking Angel's place. "So, tell me." He placed his bag on the floor at his feet, bagging considerably faster than his boss. "How did we get stuck doing this?"

Angel loaded the bags into the cart as they were passed his way, thankful he no longer had to scramble to shove the purchases into them. "Vision girl decided to go to the car."

Wesley smirked, "Using it to her advantage, I presume?"

Angel just shook his head and sighed, "How is it she fit all of this into the cart to begin with and now I can't get it back in?" The bagger from the aisle next to him noticed his predicament and pushed a cart over to him, "Thanks."

Wesley held out the last of the bags as the cashier turned in their direction, taking the parcel between his feet and putting it into the cart he would be pushing.

"Your total is-"

Angel held a hand up, cutting her off and pushed his way to the credit card machine. "I don't think I want to know."

The cashier offered a sympathetic smile and waited for the receipt to print out.

A trunk full and back seat full of purchases later Angel and Wesley climbed into the car, packages jabbing them no matter how they shifted. Wesley sat in the back, nearly being swallowed by their purchases and silently thanked Angel for putting the top up - at least now he wouldn't have to keep track of them as well. Cordelia sat in the passenger seat, massaging her temples as she played with the radio stations, stopping on one that made her eyes sparkle. Angel stared at the radio before pulling out of the spot.

"I can not believe your making me listen to this."

"Oh come on Angel, it's fun and cute." She bopped her head slightly, "Chriiiiiiistmass, Chriiiissstmassss time is hereeee! Time for fun and time for cheer!"

Wesley had to admit, he knew all the words. "It is quite catchy. Rather enjoyable."

Angel shot him a look in the mirror before adding, "Me I want a hula hoop!" It was instantly regretted as he was certain Cordelia would never let him forget it.


	5. 213

**Chapter Five: 213**

**AN: **_Ah… yes… yet again more crap from me! XD. I hope to get the Christmas chapters up before Christmas is over but I've been having internet problems and it may be impossible. Sorry! _**Ah… no warnings really, I just like typing in bold print, falalalala! **

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own any of Joss Whedon or Mutanty Enemy's characters, only the OC that appears in this chapter. I do not profit from this work of fiction._

Angel could feel the slip of paper burning a hole in his pocket, begging to be attended to. Angel helped to bring the purchases inside, hiding his purchases inside his bedroom should anyone -namely Cordelia- decide to get curious. Standing in the middle of the tiny living room area he clasped his hands together, fake smile plastered on his face. "I'm going to leave you two to it while I go take care of this day walker thing." As if it wasn't a big deal.

Wesley looked up, hovering over a pile of bags. "Don't you think we should investigate the matter further before you go gallivanting into the night." He received a blank stare from Angel and sighed. "Right then, see you later."

Cordelia huffed, unbagging things at an alarming rate of speed. "Yep, great, leave me here to decorate with the second runner up for Mister Bah Humbug 2000."

"I rather happen to like Christmas, Cordelia." Wesley objected, making separate piles for lights and ornaments.

"Leaving." Angel took a few steps backwards and going unnoticed. "Now… bye…" He slipped out the back door and into his car which was still covered in pine needles. He didn't need to look at the address again, but he did, leaving the paper on the dashboard as he drove off.

* * *

Angel turned the engine off and got out, thrusting his keys into his pocket as he looked up at the building. The building was old but in good condition, the brickwork likely surviving the masons that laid it. A few patches of ivy grew up it, curling around the lower barred windows and up the drain pipe to the roof. He had seen many buildings similar to this one in his lifetime, but if what he thought was inside of this one… This one would most certainly be the most memorable.

Moving up the front steps quickly he punched in the correct numbers, 213, at the call box and waited nervously for a response. The next minute seemed like an eternity, each second mocking his child like excitement. But he certainly had the right to be excited.

The call box buzzed back, a rich and sexy feminine voice coming over the intercom. "Who is it?"

His eyes darted nervously as he pressed the button, "Angel."

"I've been expecting you, Angel." The door buzzed, "Come on up."

Angel grabbed the door handle and opened it, pausing momentarily in a fit of nerves before hurrying to the elevator. The door opened almost immediately and upon selecting the second floor they closed, starting his ascent. There was no music in this elevator, for that he was thankful, but gods the silence was almost deafening. "I should've taken the stairs." His impatience was answered by the _ding_ and opening of the doors. It took every ounce of strength for him not to run to door number thirteen, which, oddly enough, was the only door in the hall. Not thinking twice he knocked, fiddling with his keys as he waited.

The locks opened one by one, the door finally creaking open to reveal a woman, much shorter than he in a black bathrobe. She was a brunette with a very exotic look, one Angel couldn't quite place. She raised a brow along with the side of her mouth and retreated into the apartment. A few moments passed before she spoke, "Are you going to stand out there all night?"

Angel sighed, "The barrier, I have to be invited."

"Trust me." Came her reply, a light somewhere inside was turned on out of his line of vision.

Angel wasn't one to place his trust blindly in any one, but just this once -and to get another look at the pretty poppet that just scooted inside- he'd make an exception. He took a few steps inside, brows furrowing when he wasn't tossed back into the hallway and shut the door behind himself.

"Have a seat." Her voice called his attention to his right, a seating area bathed in dim light and dark earth tones making him feel almost at home. "Don't be afraid, Angel. I wont bite." But something hidden within her eyes disagreed. Angel was certain it would be in the pleasing sense, not the surprise I'm a demon RAWR -as Cordy might say- way.

It had been a while since he could say he was honestly physically attracted to someone. Sure there were hopefuls, but this woman oozed sensuality in a very refined way. From the long pin straight hair dangling just above her backside, to the long toned legs peeking out of the bottom of a very expensive -perhaps tailored?- silk robe he was hooked. Dare he say a crush?

The robe scooped up all of her physical features and put them on display for Angel, the gold embroidery accenting it's dark, midnight black color perfectly. He obliged her and came to sit on the two person couch next to her. "Who are you?" Now that he was seated, nearly on top of her, in the tiny loveseat he was able to get a look at the aforementioned eyes. At first he would have said they were purple but after a few moments study he noticed a blue tint to them around the iris, accented by long, full lashes.

She smiled at that, curling her feet underneath her, causing them to touch Angel's leg lightly. "Perhaps not who, but what?" She too took in his physical appearance, she had been shirking her duties for the last two hundred years or so and now was decidedly very disappointed in herself for missing such an intriguing sight as Angel.

Angel shifted to face her without craning his neck. "I'd at least like to know what to call you before we get into the details." Which was very uncommon for him, skipping the details to go straight for formalities? It must be the low, bubbling excitement. Yes, lets blame that.

"Nefertiti." She took up two mugs from the table, handing one to Angel. "And I've been awaiting your arrival for almost two centuries."

He sniffed lightly at it, blood… still warm. It had been hours since he'd last eaten and he sipped at it, not wanting to seem too eager. He was far too valuable for the Powers to send him to someone with ill intent, so he blindly placed his trust in her. The name was a shock, but it made sense. Her features were Egyptian, accented by something he couldn't decipher. Her scent… it was very different from anything he had encountered. Unique. "The Nefertiti, I'm assuming?" Inhaling again, he held the scent in his lungs deciding honeysuckle was part of the mixture. Raising a brow he let out a nervous laugh, "Two centuries?"

She nodded and leaned her temple on her right hand, arm propped on the back of the couch, left hand occupied by her mug. "To be honest, child, I've been neglecting in my duties." Her bottom lip pushed out slightly in a momentary pout. "Your coming into this world an immortal was talked of when I was your age. Being an ancient, as I am, I was assigned by the Powers That Be to look over you, make sure you didn't get killed. At first I was a bit put off by the task, not fully understanding your importance until it was almost too late. I have to say I never expected Buffy to actually send you to Acathala." Nefertiti sipped from her mug lightly before continuing. "I had just arrived at the mansion to see you being sucked into the dimension. It took so long to get your ass out of there." She shook her head lightly, more at herself than anything else. "I'm sorry it took me so long to retrieve you. I can only imagine what that kind of suffering is like." She visibly shook herself at that, the very idea of the worst hell dimension making her flesh writhe. "Since then I've remained in close contact with The Oracles in side splitting mind melting migraine form and have remained less than a step behind you at all times. More currently, as in this past week, I was ordered by the Powers That Be to give you your Christmas Present. Although they didn't call it as such, it comes in time for the season." She sipped from her mug, taking great care to lick the blood from her lips. "I guess they've figured after putting you through such tasks and hell dimensions you deserve a… bonus?"

Her accent did not tell of her Egyptian inheritance, but after being in the world for thousands of years Angel assumed one develops a mixture of all until it becomes universal. He had to admit, this was the first time he had ever been humbled by another beings presence. He had seen some things in his lifetime, but her… The brooding sessions must be intense. The mention of Acathala brought back a myriad of unwanted memories and with a quick mental shake he tucked them away for a later time. "If your one step behind, how come I haven't sensed you when I'm out working?" He looked around a bit, noting that there were, in fact, no drapes or curtains. "I give, what are you?"

"You do, whether you realize it or not, sense me at all times. A glance over the shoulder, a sniff in the wrong direction… whatever form it may be in, I am there. And, may I add, how exhausting it is keeping up with you." She offered a small smile with that, hoping his head wouldn't implode from the type of information she was currently shoving in his direction. "Very much like yourself," She gestured to the mug, "in this way, but very, very different." Placing the mug down on the glass coffee table she shifted, running a hand through her long, pin straight hair. "Being an ancient I have transformed into something else… A hybrid if you will."

Angel never found himself attracted to brunettes, in fact it had been blondes for the majority of his life, but he felt drawn to her in a way he couldn't describe. It was akin to the feeling of butterflies, but they all had mismatched flight patterns and were playing bumper cars throughout his entire body. Perhaps she had some inner mojo working or something. Mojo. That had to be it. "A day walker?" Placing his mug beside hers on the table he matched her position, resting his temple on his arm, recounting the times he'd stopped in the middle of a pursuit to glance or sniff the other way. After loosing count in the past few weeks for the third time, he gave up and returned his attention to the creature before him.

She nodded, "Among other things, yes." Reaching a slender hand out she took his free right hand and placed it to the center of her chest.

"A heart beat?" The thought of a heart beat made his mind race, it made no sense at all. "How?"

"That I can not tell you, by all laws of the living and undead it should not be so. But here I am." Nefertiti released his hand, but his hand lingered still. She admired the small smile of wonder on Angel's face and continued on. "I can remember going through the change in flashes of color and light, not in memory as most could relate. Ah lets see," She strummed a finger on her chin, recalling the particular set of memories she was looking for. "It was in the year 1336 BC that it happened. It was the fourteenth year of Akhenaten's reign as Pharaoh, my husband, that I first awoke with new eyes. I can not be sure on the specifics of my creation but I can tell you it was a well planned and dually magicked occasion. Tutankhamun had just begun courting my daughter Ankhsenamun and longed to take the throne from my husband and I. Obsessed with riches the boy was and willing to take any measures to get them, even imprisoning me on Earth for an eternity. I had retired early in the evening, leaving my husband to the filthy concubines, how he delighted so in pleasures of the flesh." Angel's hand was recoiled from her heartbeat and he listened intently. "I lay down to sleep but when I awoke it was not the following day nor the next. I had slept for nearly a week and awoke laid upon a slab to be prepared for mummification. As you can suspect I was quite infuriated, but too weak to act on my impulses. I hid within the Empire, feeding on my Pharaoh's fatted pigs. The servants were frightened by the alarming rates of the dying livestock, attributing it to the Gods that were angered when Pharaoh and I changed Religion." She laughed lightly, "The feeble minded are easily swayed. I waited until I could feel the powers surging within me and set my game afoot. Dear Akhenaten had no idea of what was going on while he drowned his sorrows within other women, he was the first I took care of. For a ruler I surely made quick work of him. Next I visited my daughter Ankhsenamun, whom insisted it was only done with my best interests in mind. Biting back on my anger I listened to her and obliged her as well. You see, Pharaoh's kingdom needed changes, changes he refused to consider, rather happy only to delight himself in the pleasures of being Pharaoh than tend to his subjects. Having me not only alive but for eternity, made it possible for Ankhsenamun and Tutankhamun to call upon me and speak to my subjects whenever they needed. Raise taxes, erect new structures, promote new beliefs, things of that ilk. And I did. I loved my country and my subjects. Without them I would have been nothing but a milk maid." She sighed, pushing the memories back, "Needless to say it is an ancient magic required to make whatever it is that I am. A magic which I am afraid was never transcribed nor divulged to me. After witnessing my own power and recklessness I did not wish there to be another like me. It took many years to find the appropriate spell to contain my anger. My instinct. Whatever you may wish to call it. A spell my daughter and her Pharaoh performed before they died. Tragically. Karmas a bitch."

Angel had many stories and secrets divulged to him in his lifetime, but this one topped the scale. He wasn't sure if she had been completely truthful with him or not, but something inside of him cried out to believe in her. To trust her. To love her. Wait, what? No, he wasn't ready for that yet. But he longed to be. "And your going to change me, how exactly?"

"The same way you were changed from being a mortal." She tapped her temple, "I was sure to receive a migraine detailing the process earlier this morning. But as for the spell to bind your soul, thank the Gods for a photographic memory. And also for hanging onto everything I've come across in my excessively long lifetime."

"Convenient." Now this was really starting to get far fetched. "Will Angelus come about during the transformation?"

"I do not think so, but I'm sure I can handle your little demons, Angel."

He wasn't sure how to react. Nearly everything he'd wished for in the past hundred or so years was being offered to him, by a woman he could learn to harness his powers from. By a woman he could spend an unnaturally long life time with based on the past hour. "What's the catch?"

"No catch. No strings." She stood and moved to a book case in the corner of the room. Retrieving a scroll she returned to her seat. "It's all right here, Angel. I haven't read the entire scroll, some of it is better left unsaid and unknown. Some things are better left as a surprise." She blushed slightly, "I'm sure you'll want Wesley to comb through this before accepting my offer, but at the very least have dinner with me tomorrow." Grasping her mug once more she emptied the contents. "I find you," Using her pointer finger to wipe at the small trickle of blood running down her chin she finished, "intriguing. Among other things."

Angel took the scroll from her and unraveled a portion of it, the mention of Wesley's name deaf on his ears. '_Hieroglyphics, I should've known.'_ He wasn't sure why but it felt almost as if the parchment was singing to him, calling for his attention. "Alright. What time?"

"Meet me here after dark, we can further discuss what you've been offered." She rose and followed him to the door. "No need to dress up."

Angel felt her eyes roaming all around his body and, for once in a long time, he didn't mind or feel uncomfortable. "Goodnight Nefer-"

She placed a finger on his lips, "In public you refer to me as Natalie. That's what it says on the call box after all." Nefertiti winked, grasping the doorknob.

"Goodnight Natalie." He moved to the elevator as she shut the door, his nerves calmed but his mind racing to a number of different topics. Aside from what he'd been offered the main things were, researching the scroll and Nefertiti's legs. He couldn't help the latter, it had been a long time since he'd received any satisfying affection and with good reason.

As he drove back to the office he had a feeling akin to that of post first date jitters. The simmering excitement, the pounding feeling in his chest and the aching in his lower areas. Stepping out of the car and towards the basement entrance he paused, physically shaking some of the feelings off before continuing his way in. Locking the door behind him he spied Wesley and Cordelia curled up together on the couch. The tree was up and fully decorated, tinsel strands glinting in the dim light.

Wesley stirred and moved from the couch, careful not to wake Cordelia as he stretched. He spotted the scroll in Angel's left hand, "How did it go?" He spoke low, moving to the kitchen.

"I'm not sure." Angel followed after him. "How good are you at Hieroglyphics?"

"The best in my class at the University." He grabbed a cookie off of a plate on the counter, ignoring the slightly burned bottom. He had told Cordelia to take them out of the oven much sooner, but that had just ended in a tinsel fight. "Why?"

"I need this translated by sun down tomorrow." He handed the scroll to Wesley and noted a few strands of tinsel poking out of the other man's hair. Deciding it was best not to ask he watched Wesley pull the scroll open delicately. "I met Nefertiti."

Wesley coughed on a bit of cookie, looking at Angel with wide eyes. "**The** Nefertiti?!"

"Yeah, kind of makes sense why no one has ever found her body."

"Nefertiti was the most influential Queen in ancient Egypt!" He placed his hands on either side of the scroll, leaning in Angel's direction. "Some even claim the most beautiful woman in the world!"

"She was pretty…" He paused choosing his right words, "Undeniably beautiful."

"With her husband, the entire belief system of Ancient Egypt was changed! She may have even been ruler of Egypt after her husband, Amenhotep, died. A woman, the ruler of an ancient civilization, that's unheard of!" Wesley's excitement was endearing, to say the least. "Nefertiti may, quite possibly be, the smartest woman you've ever come across in your entire life Angel."

Angel raised a brow, "That means nothing to me until you translate that for me." And the other brow followed suit, "She referred to him as something else… Egyptian names are confusing."

"Most likely Akhenaten. He changed his name from Amenhotep to Akhenaten as evidence of his new worship." Wesley shot him a look, "They're only confusing because they are much different in pronunciation and spelling from ours." He looked back to the scroll, "This is quite possibly one of the oldest things I have ever touched… and I've gotten cookie crumbs on it." Lightly blowing them off he took the scroll into the upper parts of the office, leaving Angel to himself in the kitchen.

Angel shut the lights off, leaving the tree alight, and moved to the few decorations that were left unhung. Some garland and three stockings with three bookcase style hangers; one a gold star -Cordelia, no doubt-, one the body of a snowman with a boy's head at the top -Wesley, of course- and the last a silver angel -he didn't expect for it to elicit such a smile, but it did, after tugging lightly on his heart strings. Using the weighted hangers to hold the garland in place over the entertainment center, he hung the stockings. Stepping back to view his handy work he smiled again, it was like having children. Very strange, deformed children. Satisfied he turned to Cordelia's sleeping form and tossed the throw blanket over her before retiring to his own bed room.

--------------

The morning came quicker than any of them could have cared for, Cordelia the first of them to rise. Stretching out of the blanket, she stood and wrapped it around her shoulders, noting the hanging stockings with a warm smile. Angel's bedroom door was closed so she grabbed a cookie from the kitchen and headed for the office to start on coffee. A scoop full of coffee grounds was scared from her hand as a "**EUREKA**!" moment resonated through the office. Sighing she left the mess and moved to Angel's personal office, spying Wesley standing triumphantly over the desk, "Wesley, I didn't know you were still here."

He looked up to her, removing the pen cap he'd been biting down on from his mouth. "Good Morning Cordelia, I've been translating quite possibly the most intriguing ancient prophecy I've ever seen."

Cordelia raised a brow, "Have you ever seen an ancient prophecy before?"

"Um… no, but that is certainly beside the point." He rolled the scroll back up and stepped from behind the desk, "Angel is the main subject of the prophecy, although I can't seem to find mention of this particular prophecy in any of my books. It predates anything I've ever researched."

"I'd be excited if I had any idea of what you were talking about. But, as per usual, I don't. Elaborate."

"Angel met with Nefertiti last night, the woman in your vision. During his visit with her, she gave him this." He held up the scroll, "Which, in short says Angel will be able to lead a somewhat normal life."

"Your definition of normal is boring, I feel bad for him." She turned around and headed back for the coffee maker.

The sound of the approaching elevator signaled that Angel was also awake. He slid the gate open and stepped out. "I heard your eureka moment from downstairs." His hair was ruffled, clothes rumpled from sleeping in them.

"It wasn't my intention to wake you." Wesley tucked the scroll under his arm, moving to sit on Cordelia's desk.

"What does it say?" He raised a brow at the coffee grinds strewn about.

"It speaks of you and Nefertiti candidly. The basic gist is that she will bestow a gift upon you, bigger and better than any you have received in your lifetime."

"I've gotten some pretty interesting things in my life, Wes." His glance traveled to Cordelia who was simply staring at the coffee maker, perhaps it had been too long since she'd made use of it and forgot. Still, it was an interesting sight.

"Day walking being one of it's attributes."

"So she wasn't lying then." Angel stepped to the coffee maker, pushing Cordelia out of the way and finished fixing the morning's brew. "That's comforting."

"How do you know the scroll isn't a fake?" Cordelia moved to sit behind her desk. "One of my personal rules, thanks to Sunnydale High School, never trust a mummy."

"The paper is made of papyrus, something very difficult to replicate properly. I did some tests before translating it and the scroll does seem to be genuine."

"She's not a mummy." Angel spoke lowly, as if to convince himself as he poked at the coffee maker, maybe to make it go faster somehow. "What would you bring to a dinner, Cordelia?"

"Myself?" She raised a brow. "Wait… you got invited to a dinner?"

"A dinner date with Nefertiti?"

"Keep your panties on Wes." The coffee maker perculated it's last cup and Angel fixed himself one, black. "It's just dinner." He took a sip of the hot liquid, "Right?" Holding the mug between his hands his eyes darted around nervously, "You women don't put hidden meanings behind 'come over for dinner', do you?"

Cordelia pushed her way in front of Wesley to pour herself a cup of coffee and sipped it. "Well, that depends. Did she say she'd cook? Assuming that one of you are eating, of course."

Angel's brows knotted together in slight confusion, "No and why does it matter?"

"Come over for dinner says 'lets have sex', I'll cook says 'lets have sex and I'll cater'." She added more sugar to her mug and sipped at it again, returning to her seat behind the desk.

A sip of coffee, rather hot and also burning, caught in Angel's throat. "Excuse me?"

Wesley followed suit and poured himself a cup of coffee. "The coffees always good when Cordelia doesn't make it." He shuffled back over to his seat atop the desk. "The scroll does mention a relationship between yourself and Nefertiti."

"Yeah and judging from what I saw, ick, she's catering."

Angel's eyes widened slightly, "But… I can't… She… Shit." He placed his mug down, crossing his arms over his chest. "She mentioned something about being able to bind my soul to my body once the transformation has taken place?"

Wesley stood, both eyebrows raising, "I've heard talk of such a spell, but only talk. I've never seen it actually transcribed and if memory serves correctly…" He moved to Angel's office retrieving a book from the book case, "It's mentioned here, but not explicitly." He flipped a few pages, resting the mug on Cordelia's desk. "All it says is 'One of the light may have a soul bound unto them'. But it fails to mention anything of importance."

Angel glanced to the wall clock, one thirty. Only a few more hours until sun down. "I'm gonna…" He turned and headed for the elevator, "Keep myself occupied."

Wesley watched him descend and waited for the sounds of him moving far into the apartment before speaking. "I can't even begin to imagine how Angel feels right now."

"I was never good at putting myself in other peoples shoes."

"Obviously." He finished his coffee and closed the book he'd been looking at. "The gravity of the situation is-"

"Causing a full on brood session."


	6. That INFERNAL Points Game

Chapter Six: That INFERNAL Points Game

**AN:** _**If you are put off by the idea of Cordelia/Wesley, now would be the time to stop reading. **_**There is a explicit sexual relationship in this chapter, if the idea of couitus offends you press the back button and forever shun my plot bunnies ;]. If not, read on and please review.**

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own any of the characters created by Joss Whedon or Mutant Enemy, only Nefertiti. Don't sue, it'll be pointless._

How many more pop ups could she possibly click before going insane? Ah, yes the blue screen of death. That many more. Huffing she rose from her spot behind the desk, the clock reading four thirty. The sun would be down in less than an hour. Stretching through a yawn she moved to the stairs, heading into the basement apartment to check on Angel and his 'full on brood session'. Peeking into his bedroom she raised a brow, his trained movements pulling his muscles taught in all the right places. Yoga really did a body good. Wait. Angel… Yoga? Placing a hand over her mouth she laughed.

Angel heard her before the door creaked open but not wanting to break his concentration he tuned her out. Until she laughed. "What is it Cordelia?" Unfolding himself he stood, wiping his palms together. "I have to get ready, make it quick."

She noted two neatly wrapped presents in the shape of DVDs on top of the armoire behind him and couldn't help but smile at the thought of Angel wrapping presents. To her surprise they were some of the best wrapping jobs she'd ever seen. "What? Oh, nothing." Pushing past him she sat on his bed, "Sorry for being concerned."

"Cordelia I sign your paychecks. Technically I pay you to be concerned." He pulled the white wife beater over his head, discarding it in the laundry basket and moved to stand in front of the armoire. Her glance at the presents didn't go unnoticed and he smirked, happy that he'd thought to hide hers elsewhere.

"Pfft! As if I'd be so shallow."

He raised a brow and tossed her a questioning glance before retrieving fresh socks and boxer briefs.

"Hey! I've grown since Sunnydale! I'm not that bad anymore Mister Broods Twenty Four Seven!"

Closing the doors to the armoire he smirked. "Taller, yeah."

Cordelia's eyes thinned into an aggravated line, unable to think of a proper comeback through the slow anger she was currently feeling.

"Honestly, what did you want?" Angel pulled a pair of fresh pants from the lowest drawer and moved to his closet to select a shirt. He selected a dark purple shirt and moved into the bathroom, laying his clothes out.

"I told you why I came in here, but suddenly I don't have the urge to care right now." Was Cordelia Chase jealous? No. Not over Angel. _'Ugh, no way.' _She stood and left the bedroom, heading back to the upper office.

"Cordelia, I'm," He leaned his head out of the bathroom doorway, to see he was talking to no one. "Sorry…"

Wesley dosed in Angel's office chair, opening his eyes at the sound of the elevator and rose, checking to see who it was. Cordelia.

"Hey Wes," She opened the gate, moving to the desk for her purse, "I'm calling it a night and heading home."

"Ah, well at least allow me to walk you." He followed her to the door and grabbed his jacket, handing it to Cordelia for her to use.

"Sure." She handed Wesley one of the Target bags she was carrying with his purchase inside of it.

His eyes widened as he remembered the purchase he had in his jacket pocket and hoped she wouldn't notice it. The walk was spent in silence for the first time since he'd been put on the pay roll at Angel Investigations. Normally Cordelia had found some way to entertain herself while they walked, but tonight she seemed to be lost in her own world. Wesley was indeed concerned, but unsure of what to say to her. Normally he'd be his usual uptight self and just blurt it out, not thinking to sugar coat it. But, after the other night, things were to be handled differently. At least in his opinion.

Coming to the door he stood aside as she unlocked it, then turned around and kissed him. Wait, what's happening? His mind reeled as her lips connected with his and it took a moment for him to return the kiss, wrapping his arms about her waist and edging her into the apartment. The door closed behind them of it's own accord and he broke the kiss momentarily to drop his bag and, "Thank you Dennis."

Cordelia dropped her things on the floor by Wesley's, she still wasn't sure what possessed her to turn things into the bedroom direction, but it felt right. She shrugged out of his coat, throwing it in the general direction of the couch and kicked her shoes towards the door. Beckoning him with her pointer finger she moved backwards towards the couch.

Wesley still wasn't sure what was happening, but it certainly was pleasurable. Obliging her pointer finger he moved towards the couch, taking her in his arms again as they both slid onto the couch. Pushing her back into lying down, he rested himself on top of her, nestling rather comfortably between her legs. His left hand tangled in her hair, he used his right to trail his fingertips along her leg, resting to curl around her hip. It had been quite some time since he'd found himself in this particular position, but it was in fact like riding a bicycle. Only not. As it was in fact Cordelia.

All she could do to further things along was run her hands to his back, under his shirt. She used her perfectly manicured hands to send delightful little shivers throughout Wesley's body. His pleasure evident in the subtle motion of his hips against her own. Pushing his shirt up and over his head she took a much needed breath of air and bit her pointer finger as she stared up at him.

Wesley tossed his shirt to the floor, laying his glasses a bit more carefully on the table and raised a brow at the look he was receiving from her. "What?" He asked with a nervous laugh.

She didn't reply, only reached up to mess his hair about, "There. Now you can continue."

Smirking he reached down to her shirt line, pushing it up and over her head and left her to dispose of it. Kissing his way down her neck line he paused at the curve of a perfectly rounded bosom, stopping to draw in a bit of the flesh and nip at it. Moving his hands behind her to undo the clasp of the bra -female torture device, he'd decided- he released the flesh and blew lightly on it, marveling at the instantaneous goose bumps. Undoing it he watched her slide her arms out of it as if it were on fire and returned his attention to what it previously hid.

Cordelia had to admit, she never thought -recently anyways- that Wesley would be able to make her breath catch in the back of her throat the way it did. Arching her back as he took a pert nipple into his mouth, the other between his fingers she sighed, moving slightly to nibble at his earlobe. His shared excitement and readiness teased along her most sacred places. Making itself well known through the nuisance barrier of fabric. She also had to admit she'd never pictured Wesley to be any kind of endowed, being so lanky. But, it had been her experience that the ones you least suspected always packed all the punch and she guessed the same was true when it came to lengths and widths of male anatomy. After all, you could hardly count Xander Harris as sexual experience, although he was good at what he did, she made it a point to forget any strengths he'd had at keeping her his.

Reaching down between them Cordelia undid Wesley's belt and pants, pushing them down as far as she could reach. Which wasn't far. At all. Wesley looked up at her as if asking permission and she couldn't help but smile. In response she pushed her skirt and panties down, wiggling her legs out and back to their previous position. He followed her example and removed his own, pausing to hover over her.

"I do hope you have something-" Wesley was cut off by a flying prophylactic beaming him in the forehead, only to slap down between Cordelia's breasts.

"Thanks Dennis!"

He took the initiative and opened the wrapper, placing the male torture device securely around himself. While he was in the area he found her sensitive nub with his thumb, starting out in slow circles. She moved her hips to rub against his length, eliciting a pleasured sounding intake of breath. Placing himself at her opening he teased before slowly pushing his way inside of her, continuing to stimulate her clit. He wished he could've captured the sigh that escaped her just then and save it for a day he'd need a smile or fond memory. Allowing her a moment to adjust he began to rock his hips slowly, her own unmatched grind causing 'quite the pleasurable experience' he'd more than likely say. Cordelia met her mouth with his, her hands moving to dig into his back. Wesley enjoyed the sensation of her nails upon his flesh and quickened his pace, feeling her begin to tighten around him from the dual sensations he was giving her. He felt it coming before she did and held on through the extremely hot, tight feeling currently wrapping around him. She buried her face in his shoulder, biting down and suckling through a series of moans. With a few final, out of time thrusts he collapsed on top of her, cupping her face in his hands and rested his forehead upon hers as he caught his breath.

Cordelia closed her eyes, taking quick breaths to try and slow her pounding heart. Taking one long, deep breath through her nose she opened her eyes and kissed Wesley slowly and sensuously. "That," She swallowed through a dry mouth, "was amazing."

Words. Not. GOOD. "Eh? Eh, eh. Mmm." Pushing himself up and slowly out of her he sat on the couch, pants pooling around his ankles and laid his head back on the couch - at a rather awkward angle, leaving him staring at the ceiling. "Me eight points. You," He tried to catch his breath, smacking his dry lips together a few times, "loose."

She rolled her eyes and tossed him an amused look, "My instinct is to deny and bicker, but my twitching legs say otherwise." Cordelia stood, naked as the day she was born and made her way into the kitchen. "I admit defeat. How about a victory root beer?"

"Eh, mmm." His tongue grated against the roof of his mouth, denying him any speaking privileges for the moment.

"I'll take that as a yes." Returning to the couch she handed him a can, which he immediately pressed to his forehead.

* * *

Angel knocked on the door, straightening his shirt and short leather coat while he waited. He could almost smell her through the wood, the scent only intensifying as the door was opened. On the other side stood Nefertiti, dressed in a knee length black pencil skirt with buttons up the back, old fashion stockings with the hems traveling up the backs of her legs to hide underneath said skirt and a shirt Angel could only describe as a stretched out sleeveless black turtleneck. The collar seemed to be stretched but hung loosely about her shoulders, a black and gold beaded necklace with a black rose hung around her neck, matching earrings dangling about her hair. If he could breathe he would've stopped at the sight before him. Her attire was simple and elegant all in the same, his desire to take her hair between his fingers -among other things- almost too much to take.

"A man who's on time, I have to say I'm impressed." She stepped to the side and opened the door to make just enough room for him to enter.

Angel took the opportunity and stuck himself between her and the doorframe, pausing to extend his package to her. "I brought these for you… obviously." A dozen of the darkest red roses, so dark they looked black upon first glance. Angel hadn't wrapped them in tissue or paired them with baby's breath, simply tied a black velvety ribbon around the middle of the stalks -after having removed the thorns, of course. He hoped she knew the meaning behind the color, not the superstition that they in fact mean death or hatred.

With a smile she took them up into her arms and smelled them briefly, "New beginnings, rebirth and-"

"Pure love." Her closeness was maddening, his self control slipping the longer he allowed his body to lightly touch hers like this. "But, I didn't mean it in a creepy way I-"

Nefertiti placed a finger to his lips, silencing his worries. "Your not creepy, Angel." She took a few steps backwards, hearing the nerves in his voice, and closed the door. "I find you charming." Moving into the apartment she bypassed the sitting area and moved down the hallway to the first room on the left, a spacious kitchen with a bar style seating area at the end. The island in the middle held a basket of fruit and the sink, the counter tops containing the normal appliances one would find in a mortal kitchen. The counters, island and bar top were done in dark green marble, their structure made of stained black wood. The fixtures were chrome, matching the electrical appliances and refrigerator. "Please have a seat." She gestured to one of the bar stools and moved to the cabinets near the refrigerator. Removing a vase she filled it with water and placed the roses into it, carrying it to the bar top. Smiling at Angel she went to the refrigerator, fetching two blood packs out. "Hope you like O."

Angel moved to the end of the kitchen, but he was too jittery to sit and opted to lean against the bar top with his arms crossed over his chest. The leather in the jacket crinkled as it rubbed together and he shifted removing it. "O is fine." It was, in fact, the only kind he chose.

"You can put your jacket wherever you see fit. Forgive me I should have taken it at the door but I was quite distracted." Warming the blood in two mugs in the microwave she turned to watch him. "After the change you'll be able to stray from a liquid diet."

Angel moved around the side of the bar and draped his jacket over a lonely stool, looking up at the mention of food consumption. "It sounds too good to be true. I'm having a hard time believing there aren't any drawbacks."

"Just the same drawbacks you already suffer from. Daylight only affects me when I haven't fed and my powers weaken. Crosses, garlic, holy water are still a bitch. But, as a means of death, once you've harnessed your powers…" She looked to her hands which were fidgeting nervously with a part of her shirt. "I believe that is the only drawback." Her brow creased, nostrils flaring slightly to hold back emotion as she looked up at him, "To be unable to die… sure it sounds good at first, but without growth… without age…"

Angel moved to her, taking her hands into his own.

"Without a companion, without love." Her lip quivered at that as she looked up into his eyes, a blood red tear falling amongst normal crystalline ones. "It becomes unbearable."

He reached to her cheek and captured the bloody tear on his pointer, wanting so badly to take it into his mouth but that would be rude, impolite, and probably taste so good. Wiping his finger on his pants he used his thumb to remove the dampness from her cheeks, placing a chaste kiss on each cheek before taking her face between his hands. Those hands that tortured and maimed so many people at times could be so gentle. So forgiving. "Don't cry. I-"

She cut him off, "It's unbefitting of a Queen."

"No," The microwave beeped and was left to it's beeping. "I'm here." He pressed his forehead to hers, rubbing her cheeks lightly with his thumb and closed his eyes taking the memory into his every pore.

Nefertiti tilted her head up slightly and placed her lips upon his, only furthering the kiss when his lips begged it of her. Wrapping her arms around his neck she sighed into him, enjoying the feeling of his body pressed up against her.

Angel let his hands fall to her waist and picked her up to sit on the counter, not breaking the kiss and searching her mouth, almost pleadingly with his tongue. His hands traveled instinctively to her back, pressing her into him with a feral growl. What was he doing? He had to stop himself.

Nefertiti pulled back from him and rest her head on his chest, "I don't feel like dealing with your demons quite yet, Angel."

He almost pouted at the separation of lips, but it was for the best. The microwave beeped again and he moved to it, removing the mugs and returning to stand before her. Blood to quell the beast. He just hoped it would work. Handing one to her he turned his back to her and took two long, savoring gulps from his own.

Nefertiti sipped at her own, reaching out to tug him back a few steps and wrapped her free arm across his chest as he did.

"I'm sorry." His free hand traveled up to caress her arm across his upper chest. "I don't know what got into me, I'm usually old fashioned when it comes to courting."

"Don't apologize, Angel. It certainly wasn't unwanted."

He smiled widely at this and turned around to face her, placing one last kiss to her lips before running a hand through her hair. "I think it would be best if I leave, considering…"

"I concur." She rested her head on his chest as he mussed her hair about. "But I wish it wasn't so."

Smoothing a hand over her hair he took the last sip from his mug and placed it on the counter. "I've been thinking."

"About?" She lifted her head up to level her gaze with his own.

"Your gift." He took her empty mug and moved to place them in the sink.

"And?" She hopped down from the counter and bent, taking her high heels off and placed them by the bar top.

Angel turned, expecting her to be a head taller than she was at the moment and had to adjust his gaze considerably as he moved to take up his jacket from the other side of the bar. "I'm thinking my answer is going to be yes."

"I would be lying if I said that didn't make me ecstatic. But take your time in making up your mind, Angel. We only have eternity."

* * *

Wesley sat alone in the living room while Cordelia disappeared to wrap the presents she had purchased, instructing him that he'd have Dennis to deal with if he dare peeked. Fighting an invisible, incorporeal nemesis… A heated battle he wasn't prepared for tonight. The sun had set a few hours ago, it's last threats of pinks and purples tossed to moonlight by the horizon of skyscrapers and office buildings. The moonlight pooled mainly on the hardwood flooring by the window, reflecting off to give an eerie glow about the room. But, perhaps, if he didn't know the apartment was haunted -good ghoul or not- it wouldn't be so eerie. The television turned on of it's own accord, the remote hovering to Wesley's right as the channels changed.

"Hello Dennis." Wesley took his glasses up from the table and after wiping them carefully on his shirt, positioned them correctly on his face. The pictures on the television un-blurred as he attempted to focus on the program Dennis had selected. "The Real World? I didn't pick you as the type, Dennis." The VCR switched on, the sound of a tape recording signaling a slight chuckle from Wesley. "Recording it for Cordelia, my apologies." The remote rested on the arm of the chair, the imprint of an invisible figure seated next to him. "Is she done wrapping?"

The imprint vanished, the creak of Cordelia's bedroom door opening the only sound next to the rowdy singles on television. "Phantom DENNIS!" The sound of crumpling paper drifted into the living room, "I didn't know you could wrap presents." The next sound to greet Wesley was the sound of approaching flip flops. "Dennis is wrapping up the… wrapping." She looked around nervously, unsure of what to say and let the silence hang like a third party in their conversation.

Wesley stood, smoothing his pants out slightly and smiled at her. "I suppose I should be on my way." He didn't really want to leave, but didn't wish the awkward silence to linger either.

"Please don't." She fidgeted with her hands, lacing her fingers together only to unlace them in a nervous pattern. "I mean, it's just… so close to the Holidays and all… It would be nice to have some company."

He didn't need to mull the thought over at all and, in fact, knew his answer as soon as the words left her mouth. But he instead pretended as if he was mulling it all over, not wanting to seem too eager. "Alright." He bent, picking up his coat from the floor where it had been all evening and adjusted his throat. "I'll just get some things from my place and pop back over." He moved towards the door, her bedroom door slamming closed as he walked past. "I wasn't peeking!" Taking the doorknob in his hand, he hung his jacket over his arm and looked to her. "My stomach is speaking to me on levels previously unknown. Shall I get something on the way back?"

Cordelia smiled warmly, more than satisfied with Wesley's answer. But, what _was _**_she _doing?!** Was she destined to fall for every looser between LA and Sunnydale?! Apparently so. And at the moment she was decidedly content with the realization. "That would be great."

Wesley merely nodded and opened the door, "I know, chicken lo mein." He spoke over his shoulder and headed to his apartment.


	7. Terrifying Emotions

**Chapter Seven: Terrifying Emotions**

**AN: **_I didn't do it. I deny it. But here you go. Dark!Angel. The end of this chapter = I'm evil. HAAHA! Merry early FKN X-MAS! _**There are brief sexual encounters in this chapter, you've been warned!**

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own any copyrighted characters and I do not profit from this._

Angel ran down the cobbled street, the speed of a thousand men behind him for the prize in front of him. A red headed beauty, full bosomed and ripe with fright. How he loved the erotic stink of fear on a woman. Sometimes, depending on his mood, even a man. The skirts in front of him swished with the sway of her rounded bottom, the bottoms of the dress soaking in the constant splatter from her shoes -no doubt in the latest fashion. Tonight he had a taste for the wealthy, the thick rich blood contained beneath just a few pesky layers of flesh.

Her bonnet flew back down the alleyway, hitting him in the chest and continuing it's plight behind him. Had he wanted to he could've caught her long ago, but he always loved a good chase and opted for a slower, more human pace. "Please, sir!" Her voice echoed down the alley, lost on the uncaring creatures inhabiting the homes that lined it. "I beg of you," Angel could hear the tears in her voice, "I'm frightened." The more they pleaded the more excited he became, drinking the fear in with large, breathless gulps.

Taking three hulking lunges forward he grabbed her waist, pulling her backwards into him. "Ah, come now pet," The Irish accent was still prominent, adding a certain kindness to his tone. "Do ya' really think I'd want to hurt ya'?" The red head shivered against him, a mixture of fear and the brisk night air he'd guessed.

"Please," Her tears were falling hard now, eye makeup streaming down her face to greet her porcelain neck. "I just want to go home, that's all."

Angel ran a hand through her hair, messing it to his liking before running the back of the same hand down her face. "Hush now, don't ruin it." The dirt from his hands smudged across her cheek, mixing with her already streaming eyeliner. Pressing his cheek against her own, his chin resting on her shoulder he breathed deep her scent of terror.

"I won't tell anyone. Not a word." She flinched at his touches, attempting to wrench away at every avenue but he was strong and held fast.

"Now, now I can't be letting ya' go without at least a name to call ya' by, now can I?" Making it personal one step at a time. He just hoped Darla was ready to do her part. He could scent her lingering in the shadows, but honestly he didn't know how much longer he could keep a straight face.

"Giselle." Her pulse was quick, calling out for him to take her now and end it quick. But he resisted. "Giselle Caroway." Her accent was French, playing with the quivering words in a delightful way. And also, no doubt, the reason for such an overdone dress. Darla delighted in fashion, but never a lime green frilled to the gills atrocity such as this. One more reason to drain her life.

Angel could hear Darla's approaching foot steps, "People call me Angel. Perhaps tonight I can perform a miracle for ya'." He buried his free hand in a fist full of her hair, rearing her head back so she could gaze upon him. "Would ya' like tha'?" He could see Darla's parasol in the moonlight and let her slip from his grip. The trap would be sprung again, only heightening her level of fear.

As expected Giselle ran to Darla, "Please Madame," She clutched Darla, white knuckled and wide eyed, staring back at him. "Help me!"

Darla put a comforting arm around the girl, brushing a few hairs from her face. "What's the matter dear?" She wiped at the girls cheeks with a kerchief she kept in her bosom. "You look frightened to death!"

The girl shook, pointing down the alley way. "Monsieur!" It was all she could do to convey her point, terror gripping her every sense.

Darla looked to Angel, her eyes reflecting the pale light and tightened her grip on the girl. "I'm sure we can talk this out. Come Miss, we'll get this sorted."

Angel continued making his way down the alley, sticking to the shadows and out of Giselle's mortal sight. Stepping now from the shadows she did smell delicious, stirring a hunger within him he thought would never be sated. He smiled greatly as the girl attempted to throw Darla off of her and run off into the night. Even if she did run, he'd snatch her up again.

"Darling boy." Her voice was dark and seductive, purring from within her chest.

"Now, love." Giselle looked up at him through pleading eyes, not realizing he was addressing Darla. "Would ya' like to go first?" He put his demonic face on, passing his tongue over his elongated canines. Oh the shriek it granted him! He was almost tempted to close his eyes and savor the sound, but it was over too quick. Perhaps he could earn another one.

"I couldn't possibly." She too changed, her features a bit more delicate than his own. "You've done all the work!"

The girl shook, if possible, even more; her pleading whimpers carried up and away into the night by the formidable breeze.

"Only if you insist Ma Cherie." Taking Giselle's wrist in his hands he placed a kiss to her avenue of veins and tossed his head back with a laugh as she made a series of indescribable noises.

Angel leapt into an upright position, the dream disturbing him to the core. If he didn't dream about Doyle, it was one of his countless victims. But this dream, however, was more vivid than any he'd had. The richness in color, the cold chill upon his face as he chased after her. It was all too real. And in some way he enjoyed it.

Flipping the light on and sitting up he held his head in his hands, a lonely tear streaking down his cheek. Then something happened. Something that rarely ever happened to him. The floodgates opened, causing him to cry out into the quiet night. Tears ran faster than he could remember, his body shaking with emotion. He rocked himself a bit and stood, running his hands roughly through his hair. Everything and nothing all at once was racing through his mind. He had to leave. Find some clarity.

He didn't bother changing and hurried out the back door, he only had another twenty minutes until sunrise. Racing the car down the streets he calmed himself for the time being and pulled up to the building with screeching tires. Sunrise was coming, he could feel it like dogs on his back. Not wasting his time with the call box he pulled hard on the door, the lock wrenching under his strength. Taking the stairs by two he stopped in front of her door. 213. What was he doing? Showing up unannounced and uninvited. No less in the middle of a breakdown. Lacing his fingers at the top of his head he paced in short circles, staring at the door out of the corner of his eyes. What was it doing standing there? Being so… door like. The nerve!

Stopping mid pace he knocked lightly, waited for about fifty seconds and turned around headed for the stairs. At the sound of locks being opened, however, he turned around making his way back. There she stood, in all her glory. She was dressed in the same bathrobe he had met her in, the only thing different now were a pair of glasses seated quaintly at the tip of her nose.

"Angel." Her eyes narrowed slightly focusing on him. "What's the matter?" His appearance truly was something to behold; his hair severely ruffled and sticking out at rudimentary angles, black t-shirt and sweatpants wrinkled in his disturbed sleep patterns, boots unlaced an untied seated upon un-socked feet. His eyes were bloodshot and puffy, remnants of tears hanging in their creases, a look she'd never hoped to see on him.

"I…" He huffed over a lump in his chest, emotion uncharacteristically showing in his crackling and wavering voice. "I didn't know where else to go." Angel's brows knotted together, lips coming together in an unwelcome pout.

"Please," Her voice was warm and caring, soothing his nerves slightly, "come inside." She waited for him to step inside and closed the door. Nefertiti removed her glasses, placing them in the breast pocket of her robe and took him gently by the arm. She led him to the left this time, to part of the apartment he hadn't yet seen, into her bedroom.

The room wasn't far from something he would've chose, the deep red satin of the bed sheets playing off brilliantly against the black of the comforter, pillowcases and floor to ceiling curtains. The floors were a dark, rich wood and matched the color of the headboard to the bed. The bed was large, large enough that one might loose themselves in it if given the proper chance. The bedside table held a lamp which cast a dim light into the room and the curtains were open, the first hints of sunrise beginning to make itself known in soft pinks and blazing oranges.

Nefertiti moved first to the windows and closed the curtains. The sunrise this morning, she decided, looked like a delicious sherbert. But, never mind, more important things were at hand. She had spent so long solitary that her mind tended to wander and delight upon whatever she fancied, whenever she did. Turning from the curtains, she moved to the bed and sat. "Come," She patted the space next to her, "sit with me." Pulling her legs up onto the bed, she made space for him between them. Sure it was a bold move, but he'd find his way there one day.

Angel stepped out of his boots, which wasn't hard as they were falling off, and made his way to the bed. He sat, noting the bed was neither too hard nor too soft, and gripped the sides, staring at a pattern on the hardwood floor. Her invitation to make himself comfortable in -what he approximated to be- twenty two inches of comfort, wrapped tightly around his aching body wasn't lost on him. He, however, wouldn't be so bold as to take the invitation and pretended like it didn't exist. Temptation, he decided, would be excruciating from this point in their exceedingly awkward and quickly advancing relationship.

Nefertiti moved the pillows around behind her and reached forward to him, pulling him into her arms. His head rested under her chin, curling himself into a ball around her. Her right hand pressed his face lightly to her, while stroking his cheek in a calming matter. "Hush now dear Angel." Her left hand stroked calming circles along his torso. "Rest your weary eyes a while and let some one else take up for your duties."

Angel wrapped himself around her, as if he could crawl under her skin if he tried hard enough. He'd never shown this kind of emotion to any one before, but he didn't know where else to go. By the time he'd arrived to Nefertiti's the sunrise was on his heels, unforgiving and not allowing him to turn back. Sighing he nestled closer, enjoying the contact and comfort very much. It was all very human. But Angel had prided himself on being human since his soul had been reinstated. Closing his eyes, he felt the emotions start to calm as Nefertiti pulled the blanket around them and settled in herself.

She leaned forward a bit, placing a kiss atop his head and rested her chin upon it after wards. "It'll be alright." Leaning to her left she turned the light on, the room becoming encased in darkness. "I'm here now." A trickle of moisture glided down between her bosoms, his tears bringing new depth to his person. Nefertiti already knew a fraction of the hardships he'd endured during his time on earth, but this brought to light many more -that she was certain to get visions of in the near future. She wrapped her legs around him, trying to make him feel as secure as possible and frowned at the sound of his sobs. He was no longer crying loudly, but the whimpers of emotion weren't lost on her supernatural hearing.

How could she develop such a connection, such a depth of feeling for someone she'd only personally known -aside from stalking after him for the past two hundred and change years- for two days? She hadn't felt a connection like this since her Pharaoh and was frightened by it. But at the same time it warmed her freezing heart, brought color to her pale cheeks. It was certainly something she wouldn't give up easily. His breathing slowed until it stopped entirely and she knew he had fallen asleep. Closing her eyes she settled in for the time being.

* * *

Wesley snored lightly into the early hours of the morning, not so loud as to wake her but enough for her to know he was there. Sitting up she passed her eyes over him, all curled up and sleep ridden. The sight brought a smile to her face, and she stood, going to the window. Sunrise. It had to be early, the sky wasn't even fully ablaze yet. The skyline was quite the sight in the morning, looming buildings appearing to shrink away from the sun, their shadows disappearing slowly into the day.

Turning from the window her gaze fell to Wesley again, his shirtless form a delight on this particular morning. Her mind went immediately to the various positions he'd folded her into last night, a warm pleasing feeling skittering across her abdomen. Biting her lip she yawned, tears obstructing her vision momentarily before being wiped away. '_He's like a little manboy.' _The thought almost made her laugh, '_But he's my little manboy.'_

Moving to the end of the bed she went in underneath the comforters, crawling up his sleeping form slowly like a stalking cat. He shifted slightly to lie on his back, lips smacking into another series of light snores. Reaching his mid section she placed a trail of kisses around his belly button, rubbing her hands together to get them warm. A giggle escaped his lips, a hand swishing in front of his nose "No Mister Tiddlywinks…" She laughed silently and ran her tongue along the inside of his hip. "Sausalito…"

Cordelia smirked, his body certainly reacted before his mind did and placed a tongue filled kiss around the head of his penis. Another giggle followed by, "Mmm" was the only response she got. Taking him into her mouth and flicking her tongue about, however got quite a different response.

Wesley leaned up on his elbows, pulling the blanket up above his head to create a very awkward looking tent.

Suckling her way to the base and back to the head she released him. "Good Morning Wes." Her words sent tiny breaths of air onto his member, causing it to ache and bounce with excitement.

"I could certainly get used to that." Sliding down and moving rather quickly to turn the tables he smirked up at her. "But, I do believe that I know a woman who is in a severe need of punishing." Wesley bit his lower lip at the thought, his arms snaking under her legs for his hands to hold her hips steady. "I think a thorough amount of teasing would suffice." Bending slightly he ran his tongue up and down her folds, receiving an interesting squirm. Deciding she deserved another he made slow circles around her clit, moving his one hand to lightly probe at her opening with his pointer finger.

* * *

Nefertiti stirred, she could feel the sun was past it's highest point in the sky and opened her eyes. Frowning at the empty bed she stretched, turning on her side to face the door. His boots were still in the same spot on the floor and just as she began to sit up the bedroom door opened. Angel came into the room, a smile placed gently across his features, with two mugs in his hand. Also shirtless she noted, quite happily.

Angel moved to stand before her and offered a mug with an extended arm. "I wasn't sure what you'd want so I figured…"

"I'm sure it's delicious." She sat fully upright, making room for him to sit beside her and took the mug.

"I don't think O could possibly be bad…" He sat, his leg touching hers and cracked his toes.

"I wasn't talking about the blood."

His brows furrowed slightly, "What-" Light bulb moment. "Oh… uh I wouldn't know?"

Nefertiti giggled at that, the idea allowing her hands to roam freely of their own volition across his naked flesh bringing a slight blush to her cheeks. "My thoughts are going to be the death of me." She scooted back on the bed to the wall and stretched her legs out, crossing them at the ankle. "A griffin?" Reaching out she traced the tattoo in question lightly with her long nails, causing a shiver and small whimper to escape from Angel's lips. "It's beautiful." Nefertiti was positive it looked even better when his muscles were tight in the midst of battle. But she had never seen him in a shirtless fight, although now that she thought about it the lack of the experience made her a bit sad. "When did you get it?"

Angel closed his eyes at her touch, wishing to feel her nails upon his back under much different circumstances. Moving back to rest against the wall as well and sipped from his mug. The memory of the experience brought a smile to his face. "It's all Spike's fault." His gaze fell to the contents of his mug, as if the words he was searching for were contained somewhere in it's depths. "It was a long time ago when we were visiting Africa." He chuckled slightly and continued, "Spike had the natives convinced that we were gods, descended to judge them for passing into the afterlife. But Spike had gotten some of the translations wrong and mucked it up completely, as he tends to do with… everything." Angel took another sip from the mug. "Spike had agreed for us to participate in an ancient ritual, which he'd deciphered to mean 'A right good ole' time with some black chaps dancing about a fire, while we devour the first born, Peaches'" He did his best Spike impression and adjusted his voice before continuing. "When in all actuality it was a ceremony designed to release the gods from their human shells and spread their powers into the tribesmen. By roasting us and eating us, naturally." He took the last sip from the mug and held it loosely between his hands. "The beginning of the ceremony involved tattooing, among other things, as acceptance into the tribe."

Nefertiti smirked and giggled a bit more, sipping lightly at the contents of the mug. "William always was one to party even at his own peril."

"You know Spike?"

"Knew, yes." Perhaps this wasn't the perfect conversation to hold with Angel, but the truth had to get out of her sooner or later. "Before he was turned, he wrote an awful lot of pretty poetry about a woman. His mother doted on him, thinking they were solely about her but…" She raised her hand with a sheepish smile. "I had met William by chance on the street, going into Madame Bovary's Jewelry Shoppe. Of course, he followed me about for weeks like a love sick pup until Drusilla took up her fancy with him." She sighed, "I had never intended my affections to be for him, but he was rather sweet gushing heart and all."

Angel raised a brow, "I never knew Spike as William too well. I certainly got a dose when Drusilla dragged him home, though."

"I had run into him again in the eighties, at the height of his Billy Idol phase."

"He's still in that phase."

She giggled lightly and finished her mug. "He recognized me of course, pouting off into the night after realizing I still had no interest in him, immortal or not."

Angel laughed, for the first time in a few days. "What a magnificent poof."

"Blonde poof, even."

------------------

It was Christmas Eve night and the office at Angel Investigations was empty, save one pair of giggles over a bottle of wine. The finest Cabernet Sauvignon on hand in the lower bowels of the building. The two laughed as if they might explode, the sounds of their merriment traveling through the elevator shaft into the office. The joke was lost on them by now, their fit brought on now by only the twinkle in the other's eye.

Struggling through a laugh Nefertiti was the first to speak, or even attempt. "Oh God," She fanned at her tearing eyes with a free hand, "It's been ages since I've laughed like that."

Angel let out one last light laugh into the cup of his wineglass, the stem held delicately between his fingers. "Me too." The wine rippled as breath from his laugh danced across it. "I'm glad you came." He took a mouthful of the drink, enjoying the full bodied taste followed by the slight plum aftertaste.

She blushed slightly, a stark contrast to her porcelain cheeks. Now she could scarcely recall a time when she'd held a tan, but pale worked for her perhaps even better than the latter. "I've never celebrated Christmas before." She sipped at the liquid, rolling it over her tongue before swallowing. "Nor have I spent it with anyone."

He smiled, a warmth tugging somewhere within his body. "I'm glad you chose me." His gaze traveled to the bottle on the table and now -after a few glasses- decided that it was, in fact half full. Reaching for the neck of the bottle he tilted it, replenishing his glass. Angel tilted the neck in her direction with a raised brow.

Gulping the last few swallows down in one she held out her glass, her cheeks swelling like a chipmunk before she could pass it down. Receiving an impressed look from Angel she offered an innocent smile, "I like my wine, what can I say?"

Angel returned the smile only his was a bit more devilish than hers. Filling her glass he replaced the bottle on the table and sat back, deciding perhaps it wasn't a good idea to fill their glasses to the brim. Or maybe it was. His eyes took her in, finally allowing himself to appreciate the ways she displayed herself for him tonight. A white corset with black lace and embellishments pushed and molded her breasts upwards, their peaks threatening to slip from their confines at any moment. Paired with a very short black pleated miniskirt and combat boots. He didn't expect her style to branch out quite as far as it did, but he certainly enjoyed it. Particularly this outfit. Biting his lower lip he turned his gaze to the tree, the lights creating a soft yet warm glow about the room.

Nefertiti felt his eyes upon her, almost priding in the fact that he'd lingered so long. Looking at him she couldn't help but to start laughing, the black with white faux fur Santa hat fit him almost too well. Along the side of the hat, in large capital lettered print were the words BAH HAUMBUG. Yes, it was perfect for him.

"You leave the hats out of this." He didn't need to look at her to know what she was laughing at, his statement only causing her to laugh again. "You have one too!"

And it was true, she also had on a corny Christmas hat. It was a black and white striped elf hat with a bell dangling off the end. "At least mine doubles as a musical instrument." Tapping the bell a few times she calmed her laughter, chewing lightly on her bottom lip. Passing her eyes over him again she frowned slightly. "We don't match, at all." An evil idea. "You've got to own more than dress pants and button downs Angel." He did. "A man doesn't walk the earth for two hundred and forty some odd years and not expand his wardrobe dramatically."

Suddenly he felt like he was dealing with Cordelia. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" '_You look like an idiot? HELLO!' 'Shut UP!'_ "I think I might have something a little more," He paused, thinking of a way to describe her own style, "punk-ish." He rose, leaving his now half empty glass on the table. "I'll be right back." Navigating was a little different than usual, the wine taking it's full effect having stood, but he made it to the bedroom without any problems.

Nefertiti sat back in the couch, tucking her legs underneath herself and let her gaze fall to the Christmas tree. It was beautiful, if a little corny around the edges. She could recall a time when evergreens were kept in the house to ward off evil spirits, not bring a fat old man bearing presents into your home. She shook her head lightly at the thought, some modern traditions she would never grasp. Her memory could recall the time of Jesus and his Disciples, while they were ostracized and crucified she never saw a problem with their belief structure. Sure, she may not have agreed wholly with it but the idea of worshiping one god until you were taken into the afterlife, now there was something she could relate to. Couldn't she? There was a time when she'd placed her faith blindly in her God, only to endure a life of… shit for lack of a better word. The past thousand years or so had made it hard to believe in much of anything. But, Angel. He was someone she could count on. Place her faith in. The thought brought a smile to her face, as well as the man standing in front of her now.

Angel stood, hand stuffed in his pockets in a delectable number she recognized somehow. "I…uh I've had this for a while."

A pair of tight -in all the right places- black leather pants paired with a black button down -half of the buttons undone. She raised a very interested brow, her pulse quickening with desire. A sound that wasn't lost to his ears. Angel grinned, his NC-17 rated thoughts seeping through the cracks of his teeth.

"Are you trying to make me jump you?" Nefertiti smirked into her glass, taking two long sips.

"The thought never crossed my mind." He shuffled his feet for a moment and held out his hand, palm tightly closed. "Hold out your hand?"

She raised a brow but obliged, the item that was placed into it making her eyes water. "I can't take this from you, Angel. It…" She looked up to him, the words failing her.

"It once belonged to someone I loved very much." He closed her fingers around it, holding both hands around her fist. "I want you to have it."

A tear slipped from her eye, his hands releasing hers to wipe it from her face. "It's beautiful." A silver claddagh ring sat in her palm and she opened it fully, placing it on her right ring finger, the heart facing away from her. She shifted and leaned over the side of the couch for her purse, finding the item she was looking for on the top -very rarely the case. "I also have something for you. It once belonged to my Pharaoh." She resisted the fond memories of him and opted to dwell on the matter at hand. "I've had it for a few thousand years and could never find the right companion to gift it to. Until now."

Angel took the small box and opened it, a silver ankh ring standing out from within the dark blue interior. He too placed it on his right ring finger -a bit surprised when it didn't burn his flesh as it was shaped like a cross and smiled at it. Leaning over to her, he wrapped his arms around her. "I love it."

"It means eternal life and immortality." She hugged him back, fitting her head into his shoulder. "It is also a mirror to the soul."

Angel pulled back slightly, kissing her slowly and at great length before speaking, his forehead resting upon hers. "The claddagh…" He bit back the urge to kiss a trail down her neck and opted for running a hand through her hair. "The hands represent friendship, the crown represents loyalty... and the heart... Well, you know…" The words distracted him, took his mind away from sins of the flesh. "Wear it with the heart pointing towards you. It means you belong to somebody." He took her hand in his, removing the ring and switched it, "Like this."

"_I don't want to do this." She sobbed, her eyes glassing with tears._

_He managed to hold the emotion back. Be strong, for her. "Me either."_

"_So don't go." The pleading tones in her voice kept him on solid ground for the moment._

"Angel?" The sound of silver clattering to the ground behind them pulled them apart and Angel from his memory.

"Buffy?"

--------

** AN: **_I am so evil! La la la la! Hehe. I'm working on the next chapter as we speak. It'll be your Christmas present. XD Please review, I took the effort to put in a Buffy type cliffhanger, __I at least deserve a review. Don't you think? I do ;]. Maybe the more reviews I get, the faster I'll update. ;o A novel idea!_


	8. Merry Christmas, Buffy

**Chapter Eight: Merry Christmas, Buffy**

**AN: **_HA! EVILNESS! YES! Merry Christmas kids!_

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own any copyrighted characters and I do not profit from this._

His eyes widened, his late night visitor unexpected and perhaps unwanted. "What are you doing here?" Angel stood, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"I figured you'd be alone on Christmas." The blonde bent to pick up the cross, "How foolish of me." Tears stung her eyes, a few falling to meet her frown. "I came to give this back." She held the chain out, the cross dangling and reflecting stray light from the Christmas tree.

Nefertiti stood, smoothing her skirt. "I should go." She bent to pick up her purse, only to have Angel take it from her.

He tucked the purse under his arm, almost protectively. "Stay." It was a command more than a request and he focused back on the matter at hand. "Why do you keep doing this?"

"Worrying about you?" She stepped forward, perhaps to get a better view of Nefertiti, tossing the cross over the couch and onto the table.

"You know damn good and well what I'm talking about Buffy." Bending slightly, he placed Nefertiti's purse on the couch. "And if you haven't forgotten just a few days ago **you** staked me!"

The agitation on his words, the scent of his annoyance -and mention of staking amongst ex's- in the air gave Nefertiti her queue. She said nothing but moved towards Angel's bedroom, seating herself delicately on the bed as if it would break if she made any noise. This conversation wasn't her business, it wasn't her place. Right? The scent of his disappointment in the air begged otherwise.

"You can't keep coming here unannounced, interrupting **my** life at **your** convenience."

"So this is how it's going to be then?" Buffy didn't bother to wipe her face, tears gliding down to stain her blouse.

"Yeah it is." He picked the cross up off of the table, his flesh revolting immediately. "Take it with you." Angel extended his arm out, the chain dangling from his hand.

"Well, you've got yourself a new girl, wearing **my **ring. It seems I have no need for it anymore." She was present for the embrace. Kiss. Explanation of the claddagh. The **same** explanation, mind you. A pout perched itself on her lips, looking rather at home and comfortable.

He let his arm rest at his side, the smoke from burning flesh and stench rising in the air. "I don't need to explain myself to you Buffy, not anymore." Clenching his jaw at the searing pain running up his arm he finished. "You relinquished your claim to me months ago. This was **your** idea. Incase you've forgotten." His jaw muscles tensed, holding back bitter and unnesecary words back. "And now, I can't go back to the way it was."

"Cant?" A stray curled bang brushed across her forehead, "Or won't?"

The smell of burning flesh reached Nefertiti and she rose, making her way to Angel's side in the other room. His features softened as she entered the room and extended her hand, like a mother would a child with something unsavory in their mouth. "Enough, Angel. Give it to me." Her eyes widened, moving her hand slightly towards him incase he forgot it was there. "It's Christmas, don't be like this."

The sight of her calmed him a bit and reluctantly he dropped it into her hand, watching as it began burning her as well. "I don't want to, no."

Nefertiti didn't flinch, the pain not enough to bother her. "I'm going-"

"Nowhere." His hand grasped her free one, holding her in place.

Nefertiti bent slightly at the knee to place the cross on the table, her eyes darting around nervously. Nervous, was that the feeling? She wasn't used to it, although in spending time with Angel she was starting to become accustomed to the sensation.

A small squeak of emotion came from Buffy, words stricken from her for the moment as the realization sunk in. Angel had started to get over her.

"Merry fucking Christmas, Buffy now get out." His anger once again boiled beneath the surface, her presence only feeding the demon.

"So you've got yourself shacked up with some," Buffy looked Nefertiti's outfit over, "vampire slut and your just blowing everyone off now? Is that it?!"

Nefertiti acted on her anger, moving faster than anyone in the room could see to pin Buffy to the wall by the neck. "Listen to me little girl," Her anger brought about her Egyptian accent, for some reason she'd never been able to shake it when it came to her primal side. "I am a Queen among my people and just because you can't keep a man doesn't mean you can get them crawling back either." Buffy squirmed, causing Nefertiti to laugh, bell to her hat jingling slightly. "You may be strong, but you'll not best me."

"Nefertiti." Angel's voice called out, coming closer. He moved slowly, cautiously, hoping he could reach through to her behind the demon. "She's not worth it."

The look in Buffy's eyes was enough to sum up the entire situation. Pain, confusion, abandonment.

She turned to look at him, not realizing before now her fangs were down and released the girl. Her eyes shifted from blood red back to their normal violet tones and she hung her head, slightly ashamed of her actions. And the poor thing, she was on the floor coughing. "I didn't mean…" She sighed, stepping backwards to meet the opposite wall. "I'm sorry. The demon has bested me." That realization almost brought a tear to her eye. For nearly a thousand years she had prided herself on being able to control her darker side. But one moment along with a foolish girl's words had contradicted her, in a very unsettling way.

Angel stepped between them, and swallowed Angelus back down. "Buffy, go." He watched the blonde get to her feet and let her out the back door, locking it behind her. Running his hands through his hair he picked the cross up off the table, gripping it tightly before throwing it across the room, "FUCK!" The cross was shortly followed by said table, disrupting the uneasy silence of the room. The wine glasses shattered, leaving pools of blood red liquid in their wake.

Nefertiti flinched at his agitation, his physical strength wasn't a threat to her but she did not wish a confrontation with him in the least. She closed her eyes, wishing she could melt into the wall, become one with it. But she could also shit in one hand, wish in the other one and see which one filled up faster. Angel's hands rested lightly upon her arms, sliding up to wrap around the back of her neck. The fuzzy ball at the end of his hat slid forward to tap the bell on hers lightly, a small smile crossing his lips at the pitiful jingle.

"I'm sorry about that." She felt his lips move upon her forehead as he spoke, his voice a low whisper. "At one time in my life I loved her. Now…" He forced a frustrated laugh through his nostrils, "Now her very presence has me seeing red." He couldn't think of the right words to describe the feeling and didn't intend to at the moment.

She did not speak, not out of fear, but what would she say? She may have been justified with an out lash, but attempting to choke the girl to death? Nefertiti could feel the ancient evil inside of her bubbling underneath the surface, itching to make itself known. Her demon and Angelus would sure have a lovely play date.

Angel sighed, tilting her head to look up at him. "I wont say what you did was right… but I wont say it was wrong either." He rubbed his thumbs across her cheeks, "I was a second away from doing it myself."

She couldn't help but smile at that, her hands moving to sit at his leather clad hips. "I am sorry." His hip bones felt delightful under the delicious fabric, her want for more almost unbearable. "The demon isn't, but I am."

He knew all too well what she was talking about, the sweet scent of her desire pleasantly invading him. "She shouldn't have spoke to you like that, end of story."

"I agree. It's Christmas, let us loose our thoughts of this, take up fresh glasses and finish the night."

Angel had to smile at her spirit, willing to persevere, and he moved to the kitchen, taking two fresh glasses in his hands. "If we don't get to sleep, Santa won't come." He stopped at the liquor cabinet on the way back, grabbing a bottle of pinot grigio, the sorry sight of the cabernet smashed in the corner of the room.

"Santa," Nefertiti came to his side, taking her own glass. "Is a demon that eats children." The very thought made her skin crawl, being a mother herself -an obscenely long time ago- she had always refrained from feeding on children. Except for that one time, when she'd fed on all of the first borns to scare off a few fanatical Jews. Oopsie! But that was before she had harnessed the ancient evil within herself.

Angel moved to the radio on top of the entertainment center, Nefertiti in tow. "I know, he gives me the willies." The willies? He was obviously spending far too much time around Cordelia. Fiddling with the antenna for a minute he turned the dial, turning to face her as he caught the song he'd hoped for. "Shall we?" He sipped from his glass quickly, placing it on the top of the entertainment center.

"We shall." She placed hers next to his, the rims almost touching and stood in front of him, arms out in proper ballroom position.

Angel wrapped his left arm around her waist, his right hand gently taking hold of hers.

"I really can't stay."

Her singing voice, if at all possible, was more entrancing than her speaking voice. "But baby, it's cold outside."

"I've got to go away." Nefertiti followed his lead, just happy she could remember the words.

"But baby it's cold outside." He didn't feel nervous around her, his singing voice greatly improving from any other time he had sung before. Okay, so screaming out drinking songs in the middle of a pub didn't count as singing.

"This evening has been."

"Been hoping that you'd drop in."

"So very nice." She laughed lightly at that line, minus the Buffy, the evening wasn't so bad.

"I'll hold your hands, they're just like ice." And so were his.

"My mother will start to worry."

A low bass sounded from the stairs, "Beautiful what's your hurry?"

Nefertiti giggled and blushed, resting her head on Angel's chest momentarily.

Angel smirked, not stopping his dancing. "Wesley, it's cold outside!" The lyrics were out of synch with the song, but it elicited a laugh from the three of them -Angel doing his best Doris Day impression, that is.

Wesley placed his packages under the tree, " Sorry to interrupt, I didn't expect you to have company."

Angel twirled her slowly in time to the duet. "Why does everyone assume I'd be alone tonight."

"Because you spent the past two hundred and-"

"Stuff it, Wes."

"Right then." Wesley raised a brow to Angel's guest, she looked familiar but he couldn't place her.

"Wesley," He dipped her, bringing her back up slowly just to his liking. "Meet Nefertiti."

Nefertiti smiled as she whirled past him, careful to avoid a nearby wine puddle. "Pleasured to make your acquaintance!"

Angel stopped dancing as the song ended, taking his wine glass up and handing Nefertiti hers.

Wesley's jaw nearly hit the floor, "Your… **the**… her!" Now he recognized where he'd seen her. Although she looked quite different in some ways, she looked close to artist renderings, but in person was much more beautiful -he thought, anyways.

Nefertiti shook her head with a chuckle and curtseyed, to the best of her ability in a miniskirt. "How does it find you on this particular evening, my tongue tied friend?"

Angel moved to the kitchen and grabbed a glass for Wesley, moving to the table to fill it before handing it over to him. "Try this, it'll help."

Wesley took the glass in his hands, taking three large gulps and finished the glass. "Forgive me it's just… I've never met a Queen before."

Angel huffed in a playful manner, "He totally had a fan boy moment the other day when I told him about you." And now he was saying things like totally and fan boy in the same sentence. Angel knew reading Cordelia's women magazines when he was bored last week would have terrible, detrimental effects. He sipped from the glass, "It was classic, you should've been there."

"Angel," Her gaze traveled from the mentioned to Wesley, "silence your demons for a moment. He's sweet really, leave him be."

And so began Wesley's inner, silent orgasm and crush on Nefertiti. It was a harmless crush, nothing to sway his affections for Cordelia in the slightest. He hoped. "I believe the woman's right, Angel." Adjusting his glasses and taking in the details to the room for the first time he raised both brows. "You got mad at the table, I see." His gaze fell to Angel, at first a low bubbling laughter shook his wire frame but it soon got out of control and he was holding his sides.

Angel's eyebrows narrowed into a thin line, only to match the purse of his lips. "Don't make fun of my hat. She brought one for you too." Angel caught the sight of Nefertiti skipping to her purse and retrieving said hat out of the corner of his eye. "Bah humbug."

Nefertiti bounded over to Wesley, standing on tip topes to place the hat on his head. A green felt had with red pointed trim and felt elf ears sewn to the sides. She took a step back, giggling in approval at her doing. "It's perfect!"

Wesley held onto a breath as she came within inches of him, her arms reaching up to adorn him with the silly thing. Letting it out slowly he adjusted the hat, goofy grin refusing to leave. "I'm with him, bah humbug!"

**AN: **_Wesley with a bass singing voice just sounds so right to me! Ah, yes. I like it. I'm working on the Christmas Day chapter and it may be short as the holidays require most of my attention. Sorreh! ;x_


	9. Christmas Day

**Chapter Nine: Christmas Day**

**AN: **_Ah, I think Buffy may be back in a later chapter and better written too! Oh, JOY!! It was the first time I had worked with the character and I hope none of you were disappointed by her short part, ass kicking, and possibly OOC-ness. Sorry! Anyways, on with the Christmas fluff!! _**This chapter contains a quick, yet explicit sexual act. If the idea of oral pleasures offends you, DON'T READ IT! It's Christmas time, smut is needed, even if it is brief. ;]**

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own any copyrighted characters, nor do I profit from this work of fiction._

Three empty glasses sat atop the entertainment center, resting comfortably in the garland, along with an empty dark green wine bottle. Light snores filled the sitting area, Wesley sprawled out on the couch, tan fleece throw covering most of him. After cleaning up the mess and replacing the table infront of the couch, Angel and Nefertiti had retired to his bedroom, leaving the door open to appease Wesley's desire for Angel's soul to remain intact.

Nefertiti lay on her side, curled around Angel and used him -rather happily- as a pillow. Angel lay on his back, one arm propping his head up, the other wrapped securely around the woman next to him. It was the first time in a long time that he was able to sleep comfortably, no less with a woman he called his own beside him.

The morning was long gone, all the clocks -unbenownst to the sleeping figures- displaying 1:30PM and was unusually quiet for the hour. Normally by now Cordelia and Wesley were at work in the office, Angel working out or chatting with a potential client in his own office.

Nefertiti was the first to stir, lifting her head slightly to place a kiss upon Angel's cheek. A warm smile played across her features, reflecting a smile that was working it's way up Angel's face.

"Mmm?" He cracked one eye open to peer at her.

Offering a crooked smile, she fingered a lazy pattern across his chest. "I've got to run to my place for a minute, can I use your car?"

He rolled over, pinning her underneath him and spoke into the pillows. "Right now?"

She giggled, struggling slightly but merely for play. "Yes, right now. I've got to get my presents!"

He groaned, lifting his head up to prop it on his hand. "I'll take you there."

"Angel, you'll set on fire."

"Ah," He bit his lower lip, "Wouldn't want that happening."

"Most certainly not."

He shifted slightly, placing his hands on either side of her face and kissed her slowly. It was a kiss, not of desire, but longing and desperation. At times it was soft and tortuous, others hard and delicious. Angel sighed, pulling away with a nip at her lower lip. "Hold that thought."

Nefertiti squeezed her eyes shut, "Holding."

Angel rose and closed the door, climbing up the foot of the bed. He ran his hands up her legs, "My plaid pants never looked better, but," Reaching her waist line he slid them down, just enough to expose what he was after. "now they look beautiful."

Her eyes opened, leaning on her elbows to look at him. "Angel-"

"Do you trust me?" He placed kisses just underneath her belly button, causing her heartbeat to increase.

"Of course." She smirked as he pushed the pajama bottoms completely off, the bottoms sticking to the end of the bed.

"Then hush." Angel placed a trail of kisses down to her most sensitive place, nudging her legs up onto his shoulders and enjoyed the view very much. His gaze traveled to a ring of silver, having never seen a clit ring before he was intent on figuring out the best way to work it. Using one arm to hold her still he brought the other to rest at his side, his fingers running over her entrance to tease. His tongue drew slow circles around her bundle of nerves, causing her legs to jump with excitement, her hips pressing against his right arm.

"Angel." She began to protest, but was silenced by a probing finger.

"Shh." He spoke against her, then sucked lightly on the silver jewlery. Her reaction was more than he could've hoped for, her panting breaths becoming quicker and louder. Inserting a second finger, he rubbed on the most sensitive spot inside of her, moving his fingers at a rapid but rhythmic pace. Angel placed the tip of his tongue in the center of the ring, using it to rub quickly over her clit.

Her toes curled, legs shaking of their own volition. "Angel I'm," She cut herself off with a moan.

He spoke against her, holding his tongue in his place to send exquisite vibrations throughout her body. "Come on, baby." Angel hummed a note, memorizing the sound that escaped her lips. It was soft and loud all at the same time, not her peak but he knew she was close as his fingers became wrapped up tightly in her. "Do it for me." He returned to flicking his tongue as fast as he could across her piercing, delighting as she cried out with release. He pulled his mouth away with a little tug on the jewlery, but continued to move his fingers slowly as she shuddered uncontrollably. Angel rested his head at her belly button, a frustrated sigh escaping him as he removed his fingers carefully from inside of her. "It's official," He picked his head up, licking his fingers clean, "I can't stand it anymore."

Nefertiti shook for a few minutes after he'd moved, her legs continuing to twitch randomly. "I don't think I can drive now." Her voice was shaky, her breathing heavy.

He smiled and crawled up her, resting his arousal against her wet center. Pants had never angered him so much before. Angel ran his hands up, under her own arms to tangle in her hair. "Merry Christmas."

Nefertiti opened her eyes, the light tug on her hair causing her to shudder into him, far beyond desiring him at the moment. "Merry Christmas, Angel." Her hands cupped his cheeks, pulling his lips to her own for a long, lingering kiss.

Wesley stirred, head poking up to read the VCR's clock. 2:30PM. He sighed and sat up slowly, gaze travelling to Angel's door as it opened to reveal a shirtless Angel. He yawned, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and put on his glasses.

"Morning Wes." Angel rubbed a hand over his chest, scratching lightly and headed into the kitchen, flicking the light on. "I have a proposition for you."

Wesley tilted his head at that and stood to stretch. "Whats that?"

"I," He began, turning with a wisk in hand, "will make Christmas yum yums if you would drive Nefertiti to her apartment and back."

"Christmas yum yums?!" He tried not to sound too excited, but was sure that he'd failed. "At your service!" He offered a cheesy salute and slipped into his shoes.

Nefertiti emerged from Angel's bedroom, legs still twitching, with Angel's plaid pajama bottoms back on and a black t-shirt. "Thanks, Wesley." She moved to the table and took her purse under her arm.

Angel flipped the last pancake and set it onto the table as Wesley hurried through the back door, packages filling his arms. He rose a brow, only expecting Nefertiti to come back with a few presents. He put out a dish of bacon and scrambled eggs, waiting on a few pieces of toast as Nefertiti came through the door, followed by Cordelia. Angel didn't know they'd gone to pick her up, but was happy to see her anyways.

Nefertiti carried one, large present, setting it down by the tree before coming into the kitchen. "What?" Angel had been giving her a perplexed look since she'd come in.

"Just didn't expect to see that many presents." He leaned over to her, giving her a quick peck on the cheek.

Cordelia placed the few things she'd brought under the tree and helped Wesley unload before making her way to the kitchen. "God, Angel, do you ever wear a shirt these days?"

Angel blushed and grabbed the toast and butter, setting them in an empty spot on the table. "I'm... cutting down... on laundry."

Wesley took a seat at the table in front of an empty plate, "Good lord bless you for being able to cook."

Angel disappeared into his bedroom, throwing on a white t-shirt and came back to the kitchen. "Well..." He looked around to the three seated at his table, "What are you waiting for? Eat!"

They were more than happy to oblige him and dug in, sampling everything. "Angel, if you weren't dead and all, I'd marry you and have your babies." Cordelia spoke through a mouthful of bacon, pouring a sickening amount of syrup onto her pancakes.

-

Nefertiti stood at the sink, having insisted on cleaning the dishes and she wasn't let down. Scrubbing the fry pan out and rinsing it, she placed it on the dish drain and shut off the water. She moved to the sitting area, standing beside Angel who was seated in a black leather lazy boy.

Angel pulld her to sit on the arm of the chair, wrapping an arm around her hips. "Present time?"

Wesley lept to his feet at the mention of presents and moved to hand them out. Figuring if he handed them out he'd not be so giddy to open them. He was wrong. After he'd handed them out, making small piles next to their respective owners he sat in front of his own, not waiting for the others to tear into the ones from Angel first. "Jean Claude is the master, thats all I'm going to say."

Nefertiti played with the claddagh ring, watching the joy on the other's faces as they tore into their presents.

Cordelia sucked in a breath at the bracelet, "Angel, it's beautiful."

"I know it is." He opened the box from Cordelia, smiling at the shirts. "Thanks for the button downs."

Nefertiti leaned in to inspect the shirt with the wings on the back and smirked o

at him, "It's perfect."

Wesley's giddy noises could be heard by all and probably some people outside of the building. "Nefertiti, thank you!" He had opened all of the packages she'd adressed to him in the time the others could open one. "These are lovely but," He put a miniature statue in the palm of his hand, "I'm afraid I don't know who this is."

Nefertiti smiled, "It is Nedjem, the 'sweet one'. He was the Pharaoh's scribe, messenger to every foreign land, great steward and overseer of the granaries on the western border. In his hands he is holding the God Ptah-Tantenen. Ptah-Tantenen is a God to God's, he created the God's of Egypt." She smiled as a memory danced across her mind. "I found him in a crypt a thousand years ago, give or take, along with the set of jars. I thought he was fitting for you."

Wesley placed the statue down gently, "These are worth a small fortune, I can not accept these."

Nefertiti shook her head, "I have no need for fortunes. I have amassed a big enough sum in my time on earth, what would I want with those trinkets? It would please me very much if someone who could appreciate them had them."

Wesley didn't argue, but now began thinking about the fortune she'd mentioned. '_Yes,' _He mused,_ 'I suppose one would after thousands of years on earth.'_

Cordelia ignored their chatter and hurried through her presents, laying them out on the table to admire them -minus the bracelet from Angel and earrings from Wesley, she'd already put them on. "Where did you get all of this stuff?"

Nefertiti rose and moved to sit herself on the floor, opposite Cordelia, pointing to the corresponding gift as she spoke. "That is my head dress I wore in waiting of my husband." She let her fingers caress it lightly before continuing. "That is a necklace I wore as my husbands wife and that is a head dress I wore as I ruled alone."

"These things... they're all so beautiful, why are you giving them to me?"

"You are the only woman I know who has yet to go through those trials of life." She stood, taking her place back at Angel's side, "I figured you'd appreciate them more than I."

Angel squeezed her hip lightly as he moved to open the largest package, "This better not be a box with your husband in it."

Nefertiti laughed, prodding him lightly on the arm with her fist.

Angel opened the box, smirking at it's contents. Ancient weaponry. Something he'd loved his entire unlife. Picking up a curved sword like object he quirked a brow in her direction.

"It is a khopesh." The brow was still quirked. "A scimitar?" Both brows now. " A sickle-sword? It's more like a battle axe sword, thing. It is not blunt like an axe, but takes the D shape, it makes slashes in your opponent. Quite like..." Her eyes flitted around, searching for the word. "A katana."

"Mmm katana." Angel placed the blade back in the box and kissed her cheek. "Thank you."

-


	10. Transformation

**Chapter 10: Transformation**

**AN: **_A big shout out to Angsty, I loves you and your reviews even if you are stalking me XD! The spell I wrote in English as I do not know Ancient Egyptian, sorry guys but it is a dead language ;]. Angelus makes a brief appearance in this chapter, perhaps too brief, but he'll be back in later chapters, I promise ;]._

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own any original characters created by Joss Whedon or belonging to Mutant Enemy._

Christmas day had gone by without a hitch, except for a few over the top holiday hats. Laughs were shared amongst friends along with the last bottle of Pinot Grigio in Angel's posession. Four wine glasses decorated the table, their red stains rather festive for the holidays.

Nefertiti rose from her spot at Angel's side, tugging lightly on his arm for him to follow. She kept his hand in his, bringing him into the bedroom and closed the door behind them. "There is yet one gift for me to give you." She looked into his eyes, searching for the answer somewhere in their depths. "Have you decided yet?"

Angel smiled down at her, "I have." He ran his hands down her sides, resting them at her hips. "I want to do it."

She beamed, the joy of a companion overtaking her. "We'll be needing chains, lots of chains. The change is violent on the body and angers the mind. After the first night, you will be asleep for some time, I'd guess a week based on my own transformation."

The mention of chains stirred the beast inside of him. '_Chains? Finally got a frisky one Captain Forehead.' _He refused to acknowledge it's presence, although the sexual undertones were not lost on him. "As long as your ready to restore my soul-"

"I won't leave you while the transformation is taking place. I'll not leave you to learn alone."

He said nothing, merely bent to kiss her lightly on the lips.

"Lets not start this until we can." She bit down on her lower lip, hoping to quell the urges raging inside of her. "Chains?"

Angel pulled himself from her and moved to the sitting area, a tangled version of Wesley and Cordelia greeting him. "Too much wine?"

Wesley nearly jumped out of his skin, rolling onto the floor between the table and the couch.

Cordelia laughed at the sight, running a hand over her messed hair. "No, actually. Not this time."

Angel shook his head with a smile and opened the bottom drawer -with effort, as it was rather heavy- to reveal a large collection of chains and manacles.

Cordelia moved quickly, grabbing a cross from her bag at her feet. "Woah fang boy, why are you dipping into the Angelus supply?"

Angel turned, two handfulls of dangling chains. "They aren't... well they are for me, but not like that." One chain slid from his hands, puddling loudly at his feet. "I uh... Daywalking?"

Wesley stood, smoothing a hand over his rumpled clothing. "Ah, you need them for the change?"

Angel nodded, "I knew I kept you on the payroll for a reason." He bent, taking the fallen chain into his hands."

"Woah mister sunlight, hold it right there! Are we going to be greeted by Angelus during your little transformation?""

"Ah... I'm not sure."

"Yes." Nefertiti's voice sounded from the doorway to the bedroom, causing three heads to turn in her direction. "For the first twenty four hours his demons will come to light, his soul ripped from his being. But, I am more than confidant, with Wesley's help, that I can restore his soul while he sleeps." She moved further into the room, tracing a line down a painting of a cross, skin bubbling and burning as she did so. "I left the supplies in the trunk of the car," She moved to stand in front of Wesley, holding her hand out. "Keys?"

Wesley's chest inflated at the mention of Nefertiti needing his help. "I'll do my best." Shoving a hand into his pocket he fished the keys out and handed them to her.

Nefertiti took the keys, headed for the back exit.

Cordelia stood and dug through her purse, removing a bottle of holy water and a stake. Angel's raised brow greeting her vision. "What?"

"Glad to see your prepared." He turned and moved to the bedroom, setting the chains up on the bedframe. As he'd been chained countless times and knew how to fix them so he couldn't escape, who better for the task?

Nefertiti came in, box supported by both hands and kicked the door closed behind her. "Wesley, can you speak Egyptian?"

"Yes, top of my class on Ancient Egyptian studies." He moved to follow her into the bedroom. "After translating the scroll it's fresh in my mind."

"Is there going to be blood during this transformation thingy?" Cordelia called out, keeping her spot on the couch.

Three voices answered in unison, "Yes."

"Count Cordy out." She grabbed the remote and flipped the television on.

-

Fourty five minutes later the three had gotten everything set up, the bedroom filled with a warm candle glow. An orb of Thesulah seated in the middle of a circle created by stones and various magical ingredients. Indeed the Orb of Thesulah was used in the Gypsy ritual, but such mediums used to transport the soul from dimension to dimension were hard to come by. Nefertiti had the hieroglyphs listed on a large parchment in ascending order, handing it to Wesley to study. They set the circle up early, incase Angel's transformation was different from Nefertiti's. Nefertiti being the only known living daywalker, there wasn't much to go by.

Nefertiti clamped the last manacle down on Angel's left hand, "Are you sure you can't move?"

Angel attempted to shift, his head only rising off of the pillow.

"Snug as a bug in a rug." She bent slightly, placing a kiss atop his forehead. "Ready?"

Angel closed his eyes at the touch, "I'm ready."

Wesley stepped out of the room, parchement in hand, just beyond the doorway.

Nefertiti allowed her fangs to slide down, "Don't be afraid."

"I'm not."

His scent begged otherwise, but she left it at that, straddling Angel's chained form. Leaning forward on his left side she placed a kiss at the vein, sinking her teeth in and drinking. His taste was unique, sweet and bitter at the same time. As he began to slip she retracted her fangs, using a fingernail to cut open her own wrist and held it to his mouth. "Drink, Angel."

He felt weak, like he hadn't fed in days, her fangs pleasurable but painful at the same time. Nefertiti's blood smelled delicious, taunting him to drink it all. Angel didn't need to change, merely wrapped his mouth around the wound she'd created. Her blood was rich, thick, heady like an Irish beer. Intoxicating and full of power. Power he could feel beginning to course through his own veins. Bloodcells that began attacking his entire body. A searing pain rose throughout him, causing him to jerk back into the pillows. He had never felt a pain like this before. Sure, he'd been turned once, but this... This was hardly comprable to it. Hot flashes followed by burning cold coursed through his body, their intensity only matching his screams.

Nefertiti slid off of him, covering her ears. No amount of mental happy place could tune out the sounds of her lover in pain. She had expected this, but her motherly instinct cried out to release him from the chains. Her own blood mixed into her hair, the healing process slowed at the loss of life force. She knew she would become weaker, her own will needed for Angel to complete his own transformation, but her body trembled just attempting to stand.

Wesley winced at the sounds of Angel's inner torture and went back into the bedroom. Moving behind Nefertiti, he slid his elbows under her arms as she wavered on her feet. Pulling her backwards and into a chair he hurried into the kitchen, grabbing a bloodpack and rushing back into the bedroom. He held it to her lips, the sight of her drinking not waning his slight affections for her. The chains rattled as Angel revolted against them, his strength deminished enough to not break through them. Wesley turned to look over at Angel nervously as his screaming atopped.

Angel was there no longer, instead replaced by the demon. "Hi, Wes. Long time no see, huh?" His game face was on, catching the glow from the candles in a horrifying way. "remind me to write Nefertiti a thank you card. This, THIS is incredible." Angelus bucked against the chains, the horrible sound of them wrenching apart filling the room.

"Wesley," Nefertiti finished the bloodpack and rose, fangs sliding out. "Get Cordelia and get out."

Everything screamed at him to object, but the sight of Angelus rising from the bed inspired the flee mechanism deep inside of him. Dropping the empty pack to the floor he hurried into the living room area, grabbing Cordelia by the elbow. Taking the keys Nefertiti had left on the table he shoved them into Cordelia'sempty palm. "Cordy, you have to get out of here."

Nefertiti circled towards the bedroom door, forcing Angelus into the corner of the room.

"So, Nef," He sucked at his teeth lightly, looking over his nails before returning his attention to her, "You gonna deal with my demons now or should I have my people call your people?" Angelus delighted in her scent, the smell and taste of her blood driving him mad for more.

Nefertiti smirked and lunged towards him, the both of them falling to the floor.

Angelus struggled against her, his own strength not as powerful as hers. "You know, I never did like brunettes, but you. Hah! You take the cake honey!"

Nefertiti reared back, crushing his nose beneath her fist. "I'm not much for talk, Angelus." Reaching into the large box next to her she took out the khopesh, using the hilt to knock him out.

Wesley came into the bedroom, the sight of Nefertiti dragging Angelus across the room inspiring a smile. "Thats grand."

Nefertiti looked up at him, pausing mid drag. "I'm sure." Dragging him to the bed she pushed him up onto it, redoing the chains that were still usable.

-

Wesley rotated shifts with Nefertiti, taking over watching Angel as he slept. "You know," he began with a quirked brow, "changing shifts usually means I stay and you go rest."

Nefertiti offered him a smile, "I have no need for rest, only to ensure that he passes the twenty four hour mark."

Wesley nodded, "I understand."

Nefertiti left the bedroom momentarily and headed into the kitchen. Rummaging in the cabinet she smiled greatly at a bag of popcorn and placed it in the microwave. The device had a lot of buttons on it, some presets. Meaning to press the popcorn one she got the potato one instead. The machine beeped at her once, asking for the reset button to be pressed. She raised a brow at it, punching the clear button and manually adding the time. Staring into the view window didn't make the time go by any faster, or calm the nerves skittering across her. But, the rotation was almost entrancing.

"Uhm, Nefertiti?" Wesley's nervous voice called out through the apartment. "Is it good for him to be breathing?"

Nefertiti closed her eyes, the newly awakened bloodlust for Angel allowing her to tune into his heart beat. A small smile flighted across her features, the microwave calling out to disrupt her. Taking the bag with her into the bedroom, she handed it to Wesley. "His heart is beating, things are going according to plan."

Wesley took the bag from her, the mention of Angel's heart beating something he hadn't expected to hear in an eternity. "Excuse me?"

Nefertiti patted his head lightly in a calming manner. "Do not fret, Angel will be fine."

-

The time passed by slowly, scrabble and boggle helping a little. Wesley glanced down at his wrist watch smiling at the time. "One hour left." He was excited to get it over with, his thoughts travelling to Cordelia. He had spoken to her earlier, giving her an update on the situation and recieving an update on what she was wearing. A thought he could have gotten by without.

Nefertiti glanced at Angel, her attention pulled from the book she held in her lap. Peering over the brim of the reading glasses she fretted momentarily. Angel should not have been unconcious this long, but, perhaps, it was for the best. Standing and stretching she moved to the circle, adjusting it until it was perfect. Some of the candles were completely melted, but there were more than enough for the ritual to go on without a hitch. It was much like the Gypsy ritual, only on a much bigger scale and with a few different words in the spell. Nefertiti supposed the Gypsies had based their own ritual on that of the Egyptians, scaling it down to match their macigal powers.

Wesley rose, uncurling the parchment and studied over it one last time. If anything were to go wrong, he would never forgive himself. Silently counting down he held back his nerves, reciting the spell in his mind until he had it memorised.

"Wesley, you'll have to recite it alone, I must be able to focus the magic and my will as one." She took a deep breath, calming her set of stomach butterflies.

Yes, because that statement in now way put the pressure on. Wesley nodded, rolling the pachment back up and stood before the circle.

"Ready?" She raised a brow at him, moving to kneel beside him.

Wesley nodded and at her queue began chanting. "What is lost return. Not dead nor of the living. Spirits of the interregnum I call. Gods bind him, cast his heart forever from the evil realm. I call on you Lord; do not ignore his request. Let this orb be the vessel to bind his soul unto him. It is written, this power is my peoples right to weild. Return to the body what separates man from animal. So shall it be with the help of this magic globe. So shall it be! So shall it be!"

A flash of violet light erupted from Nefertiti and filled the room, blinding it's occupants. Her body collapsed backwards, knees still tucked underneath.

Wesley was knocked to the ground with the force of the spell, now crawling to Nefertiti's side. Taking her into his arms he rose, placing her delicately on the chair he had previously occupied and checked her vitals. Her breathing shallow, heartbeat almost unnoticeable.

Angel stirred slightly underneath the chains, not enough strength to hold his head up settled for opening his eyes. Taking in the sight around him he attmpted to struggle a bit more. "Nefertiti." His voice was but a whisper, loud enough for Wesley to acknowledge him. "Wesley," His voice was desperate, no sign of Angelus behind it.

Wesley turned, recognizing Angel's normal mental state by the tone of his voice. "She's alright. Drained from the spell I gather."

"Please," A tear escaped his eye, meeting the pillow beneath him, "undo these chains, Wesley."

He hesitated for a moment, hands shoved defiantly into his pockets. The look in Angel's eyes dispelled his worries and he made his way to the bed, undoing the chains and sliding them to the floor. Moving to Nefertiti he took her up in his arms again, standing before Angel.

It took all the strength he had to move backwards towards the wall to make room for her. As Wesley placed her down he took what little strength he could muster and snuggled into her form. He closed his eyes, the light hurting more than anything. "Please be okay."

Wesley took up his seat in the chair again, taking up Baxter's Guide to Demons. "Rest, Angel. Regain your strength." He turned a page, "There is nothing to be done tonight." The sound of Angel breathing was certainly something to get used to, but in a way it was conforting.

-

Wesley snored in the chair, finally succmbing to sleep after five hours of Baxter's horrible Guide. A cool, hard object was placed to his forehead and his eyes flitted open to gaze upon the interuptor.

"Good evening Mister Pryce," A sandy haired fellow with blue eyes held a desert eagle to Wesley's head, "My name is Lyndsey McDonald and on behalf of Wolfram and Hart I'd like to thank you for incapacitating Angel long enough for me to do my job." He picked a cellphone out of the top breat pocket to a sleek, grey blazer and spoke into it. "Ready extraction." Lyndsey snapped the phone closed and replaced it, offering Wesley a smile. "Good work, Wes, can I call you Wes?"

Wesley scowled at the man, having dealt with his type before. Briefly, but before. "No, you can't."

"Well Wes," Four men decked out in black, head to toe entered the bedroom, "I'm sorry to threaten and run like this, but I've got a long night ahead of me."

"Lyndsey." Angel's voice, not at full volume, was full of hatred. "Get out."

Lyndsey held the gun steady, "Or you'll do what?"

Angel's eyes darted around, the feeling of helplessness consuming him. The men grabbed Nefertiti, dragging her off of the bed and away from him. "I'll kill you for this, McDonald."

"I'm sure you'll try." Backing up towards the door, he waited for the extraction team to exit before uncocking the gun. "As usual, it's been fun."

Angel slid forward, attemtping to gain enough momentum to stand and do something. As he slid to the floor, unable to get himself upright, his fist connected with the concrete. "Dammit!"

Wesley stood, "Theres nothing we can do until you've regained your strength Angel." He gripped Angel under his armpits and with great struggle helped the vampire back into bed. "I'll hit the books, formulate a plan. We will get her back."

Angel clenched his jaw, his eyes heavy with sleep and the short exertion. "Your right. No matter what it takes."


	11. The Thirteenth Floor

**Chapter 11: The Thirteenth Floor**

**AN:**_I was listening to One More Day by Mushroomhead while I was writing this. I think it fits very well. Try it, you might like it. I think the words fit Angel and Nefertiti very well. I could be wrong, it's happened once or twice ;]. Again, gotta shout out to Angsty, love you and your reviews. Check her fanfiction out, it's good ^_^._

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own any of the characters created by Joss Whedon or owned by Mutant Enemy, I am merely writing for lack of better things to do. Ah, I'm a looser. YES!_

Wesley stretched out in the seat of the chair, barely in it, arms hanging low over the rests. His glasses slid down from their normal position to pinch the tip of his nose, the usual snore that followed his dream state gone. He slept lightly this night, on edge, ready to jump up at a moments notice.

Angel's eyes flitted about, REM sleep taking hold of his subconscious.

The hallway in his dream was dark, the light of his torch the only thing casting light upon it's walls. The fire flickered, casting uneasy shadows about the musty place. It was hot, the humidity enough to choke and its dampness clinging to his skin. The walls were covered in Hieroglyphics and he stopped to read them. He didn't remember being able to read Hieroglyphics but this was a dream after all, wasn't it?

Footsteps sounding behind him caused him to keep moving and quicken his pace, sandal-ed feet clapping across the stone floors. The footsteps came closer and upon looking back he could see another torch light, the figure holding it unclear.

"Pharaoh!" The words were in a different language, yet he understood them.

A woman's voice echoed out down the hallway, causing him to stop and turn. "Yes, my Queen?" He couldn't control his actions or words, was merely following along in the dream sequence. The woman came trotting up to him and he recognized her immediately. "Nefertiti, why do you seek me out?"

She stood on tip toes, placing a delectable kiss on his lips. Placing her torch in a holder on the wall she grasped his hand, tugging him to follow.

He followed, trotting after her into a darkened room. Her hand left his and he lost her in the darkness. "What games are you up to today my Queen?"

Sudden light pooled into the room, revealing Nefertiti standing at a mirror. The mirror was rounded, reflecting it's light into a number of other mirrors placed strategically around the room. "My King," She moved to his side, the sparse amount of clothing inspiring many feelings within him. "Do you not share my wish for another child?"

He took her into his arms with her back against his chest, a playful laugh in his voice as he placed the torch in a holder. "And what would you want with my children?"

Nefertiti's hands wrapped around his protective arms, pulling him closer to a standing mirror. "Have you not gazed upon yourself lately?"

The reflection staring back was identical to Angel, only tanned and wearing a man-skirt head dress combination. "Now I see why you married me."

"That is not all." She shifted to face him, looking into his eyes.

"Why then?"

"I love you, dear king."

He let his mouth hover a breath away from hers, "And I you my beloved Queen."

Angel sat straight up, grasping his chest. "Nefertiti!"

Wesley's eyes sprung open, hands pushing his glasses up to see the blur of color in front of him. "Angel, what is it?"

His heart, upon further inspection, was beating. Angel hadn't thought he would gain this ability, but was very pleased he did. "I had a dream... about being Egyptian." One step closer to being human.

Wesley shifted in the chair, leaning forward on his knees. "Perhaps it has something to do with imbibing Nefertiti's blood."

Angel pondered it for a moment and shook his head. "No, it felt like I was there. I saw my reflection as the Pharaoh."

Wesley's eyes widened at that, "It could be possible that Nefertiti has triggered memories of a past life, Angel."

"I can't think about this right now." He sighed and moved slowly to stand. The idea of wasting once chance with Nefertiti in a past life, almost too much to bear. The thought of loosing her because of his own actions, influencing his current motives.

"Angel, you need to save your strength." He stood, placing a hand on Angel's shoulder pleading without words for him to listen.

Angel nodded and sat at the edge of the bed. "I um... blood?" He wasn't planning to listen for long, however.

"Of course." Wesley moved to the kitchen, warming a few cups worth of blood in a sauce pan. He removed it from the stove before it started to boil and poured it into the largest drinking glass he could find. Grabbing the kitchen towel from the stove he wrapped it around the hot glass and headed into the bedroom. To find Angel slowly putting on a fresh button down, the black shirt with wings Cordy had gifted him yesterday. "Angel."

"I have to do something Wesley." He buttoned the last button, sliding the closet door closed and turned around to face Wesley. "I can't just sit here while they have her." He took a few wavering steps forward. "I lost her once, it's not happening again."

Wesley held the glass out, watching as Angel all but inhaled it. "If you go in there now, without plan, without strength you could die."

"I know." He fixed the cuffs to the shirt, moving slowly to the door. "If I stay it might be worse." The blood restored some of his strength, but flying half mast into Wolfram and Hart wasn't his best idea. So many thoughts assaulted him, clouding his focus.

"If I can't reason with you, I'm coming with you. If something were to happen..." His eyes darted about nervously at the possibility. Without Angel, there would be no way he could take up sole responsibility of the agency.

"I know." He headed to the box of weapons Nefertiti had gifted him, grabbing the khopesh. He intended to make a lasting impression, after taking some kind of revenge in his weakened state.

Wesley paused at the weapons cabinet, taking a small arsenal he could carry before they loaded themselves into the car.

-

Nefertiti woke slowly, her eyes taking in the detail to her new surroundings carefully. She was still weak, her distance from Angel making it worse, causing a headache to spread through the back parts of her mind. The bars to the cage she was being held in were thick, strong and probably enchanted. Sitting up on her knees she carefully peered out of them, spotting a man in an expensive looking suit seated in a leather office chair, gazing out of the panoramic windows. He was biting his nails, deep in thought when he abruptly turned smirking as he spied her. She watched him closely, trying to get a feel for his motives by his movements. Hands shoved into his pockets he rose, bending in front of the cage to get a better look at her. Here she was, finally a suitable cage for the monster. Angel would be in no condition to help her, his body weakened severely by the transformation. If she was going to do anything, it would have to be soon.

"Good evening Nefertiti." His eyes were a color she'd seen before, in one of her visions. "No doubt your feeling scared, confused, but that's all a part of waking up in unfamiliar territory."

"I know who you are, Mister McDonald and I know what you want to do to me." She had received a vision weeks ago about Lyndsey, flashes of his smile, eyes and finally to the tools they would use to break her. Make her one of their possessions.

Lyndsey smiled, "It's a once in a lifetime opportunity to come across a creature of your rareity. Come to find out, you've turned Angel as well." He clapped his hands together, "I couldn't possibly thank you enough."

"He will come for me." Right?

"No doubt in my mind that he's on his way now. What a catch, huh?"

Nefertiti reared her head back and spit through the bars into Lyndsey's face. "You, do not get to speak of such champions, Lyndsey."

He removed a handkerchief from his pocket, wiping away the spittle from his cheek an picked up an electric cattle prod. "That was very uncalled for." He made a tsk tsk noise, accompanied by a waggling finger.

Nefertiti shoved herself as far back to the other side of the cage as she could, not able to escape it. The electricity hit her like a ton of bricks, knocking the wind out of her and eliciting a pained whimper. Whatever they did, she would not satisfy them with a scream. She was far to proud for that. Her head was heavy now, but she held it high, a trickle of blood dripping from her nose. Flicking her tongue out to lap it up she moved quickly, tearing the device from his grasp and turned it around, shocking him just below the Adams apple. She could feel her brain mushing about in her skull, rattled from the electric overload. No doubt the prod was stronger than most, if it affected her like this.

Lyndsey fell back, the pain overbearing and leaving him breathless. He lay on his back for a few moments before he could catch his breath and laughed to the best of his ability. His voice was tight, harsh as he spoke through the shock waves of electricity. "I have to say," He rubbed at his neck as he righted himself, "I did not expect that." He stood slowly and moved to his desk, picking up the phone and dialing extension twenty three. He spoke only a few inaudible words into the receiver before hanging it up. "I hope you like iron maidens." A devilish grin crossed him as he picked up his letter opener and headed back towards the cage. A few words in a language Nefertiti did not recognise sent her flying into the back of the cage, hard enough for the cage to slide back to the wall.

He back of her head truly ached now but she sat on the balls of her feet, prod sparking at her side. "If it is battle you wish to do, let us."

Lyndsey merely chuckled, before a small troop of men entered the room, three of them carting an iron maiden. He ordered the men to open the cage, watching Nefertiti extinguish the first two with a few quick movements. "I'm impressed.."

Nefertiti stood, charging towards him, only to be forced back by a protection spell. She sighed, this was certainly an uneven battle. Now she was helpless against this sorry excuse for a man.

Lyndsey stepped forward, grasping her by the elbows, the prod long ago discarded to the far corner of the room. "I heard you were good looking, but hell sugar."

His tongue flicked out, dragging itself against her cheek causing her skin to crawl. "Perhaps it is you that needs the cage, Lyndsey." Before she could process thought, the letter opener was slicing hot pain across her throat, then her arms. The pain was nothing compared to the building rage inside of her.

"I heard you can't die, wanna test it out?"

-

Wesley parked the car on the sidewalk in front of the building, grabbing the weapons supply and heading around to Angel's side to help him out. Offering a hand he struggled slightly to balance between the weapons, Angel and himself but managed to get the vampire to his feet. "Whats your plan, Angel?"

"The usual." He moved slowly to the door, taking a deep breath before entering the building.

Once inside he swallowed all emotion down, physical pain and weakness, drawing on the demon for strength. He moved quickly, perhaps quicker than he should, Wesley in tow to the elevators. The elevator jingle played off in stark comparison to their appearance. Wesley unshaven for the past few days and carrying a few too many weapons. Angel, paler than usual and breathing heavy with the antique clutched tightly at his side. The bell sounded, releasing them onto the thirteenth floor, Lyndsey's office not far from the elevators.

"Your making a big mistake." Lilah walked beside them, her hands clasped in front of her.

"If you don't go back to whatever it is you were doing," He pinned her to the wall by her neck, "I'll kill you."

She straightened herself out as he let go and continued on, "So you keep promising."

Upon reaching the door Angel didn't waste a moment, splintering the door with his right leg. Taking a deep breath before entering, he put on his game face. "McDonald, your a dead man." The lawyer's face showed no emotion, merely turned to the iron maiden beside him and pushed it the rest of the way closed. A bone crunching, flesh ripping crunch sounded throughout the office. "No." It was low and breathless, breaking every bit of Angel's heart but not killing his spirit. He lunged forward, faster than Lyndsey could comprehend or notice, swinging the blade down to chop off Lyndsey's hand.

Lyndsey hollered, grabbing his wrist with his other hand. "You'll pay for this!"

"Gee Lyndsey, I thought you'd fight more." Grabbing a handful of Lyndsey's hair, he pulled him closer. His nose sniffed across the lawyer's neck, "I have to say, I'm a little upset, you didn't even cry."

Wesley barely had time to think before Angel was upon Lyndsey and he moved to the iron maiden, opening it up as quickly as he could. It took all he had inside of him not to panic at the sight of Nefertiti pinned up inside the contraption, large, bleeding holes covering her body. There was no way he could get her out without hurting her, so he did it quick like a band-aid. A giant, iron band-aid. Not bothering to avoid the spikes himself, he grasped under her arms, pulling her from the contraption and into his arms. She was breathing, barely and unconscious. Perhaps for the best. "Angel," The flesh of his hands was torn to the bone in some spots and bleeding quite profusely.

His yellow eyes darted to Wesley and the horrific sight held within his arms, keeping his grip tight on Lyndsey. Using the khopesh he stabbed through the lawyer's previously owned hand, intent on taking it with him. "Your hand, it's mine now. Sorry I have to go, but we will continue this later."

"We have to get her out of here if she's going to survive."

Angel knew otherwise, but at the sight of her all he wanted to do was make it go away. Raising the blade to Lyndsey's throat he cut a shallow wound, taking a mouthful of blood and moving to Nefertiti. With Wesley's help he took her into his arms and putting his mouth to hers, he pushed the blood into it, feeling her fangs come down, but no sign of her swallowing it. After a moment he tilted her head forward, the blood sliding out and down her face to stain the flesh of her chest. Taking her up into his arms carefully he left the office. His pace was slow, but determined reaching the elevator as quickly as he could.

Consciousness came in waves for Nefertiti, the breeze and smell of the night air caressing her face, burning into the wounds she'd received. Then the sensation of weightlessness as she was carried into Angel's apartment. Lastly blinding pain as she was placed on his bed.

Angel pulled a chair to the bedside, gingerly cleaning wounds he knew he didn't have to. The holes had begun to get smaller, but not small enough for his liking. He had sent Wesley to the living room, told him he should get some sleep. Wesley had protested, but folded at the look in Angel's eyes. He stood and moved to his armoire, taking a fresh t-shirt and boxers out. He carefully removed Nefertiti's clothing, careful not to prod any of the holes and delicately placed fresh ones on. She stirred slightly at the intrusion, but settled as he took her hand in his, returning to her side. He leaned forward, resting his head in a spot she didn't occupy and closed his eyes, placing gentle kisses to the back of her hand.

"Angel." It was a barely audible sound, gurgling in the effort it took to make itself known.

He picked his head up, putting on the best smile he could through the pain. "Hey." He ran a hand lightly over the top of her head, "Rest now, my Queen."

Nefertiti moved her free hand to pat -in the best of her ability- the space next to her. "Hold me dear Pharaoh."

Angel moved to the bottom of the bed, climbing up carefully and laid next to her, cuddling delicately into her. "Hush now." A bit of the Irish accent seeped through, "It'll be alright. I'm here." He waited for her pulse to slow, her breathing to level out, sleep to take her into a painless dream before his emotions displayed. It wasn't a breakdown like a few night's ago, just a whimpering sorrow for his love. For her to endure such pains for his benefit... Everything he touched seemed to come out wrong, every person tormented because of his demons. He never should have listened to Whistler. Never should have taken up the good fight with Doyle. He was a monster, no two ways about it. He deserved to die, bound in a hell dimension to suffer eternally for his sins.

-


	12. JELLO It's Alive!

**Chapter 12: J-E-L-L-O It's Alive!**

**AN: **_SEMI-FLUFF! But it's not who you think! It might be, but probably not...If you expected this chapter, your evil, GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!! Sosososoevil. Angsty 3. I'm kind of running dry on the idea well right now, I may not get a chapter up for a day or two. Is there anything you'd like to see [besides smut, you pervs]? Any ideas/requests [besides smut]? When I write smut, I can never write it planned out... it just comes to me as I'm writing... kind of like this entire story! For some reason I can't do it if the pressure is on. Besides, the smut is coming, the longer you wait for it the better brainorgasm you'll have when it gets here ;]. Even though it might already be here! Ah, yes I'll stop talking now... typing... type talking? IDK!_

**Warning: There is S M U T in this chapter, aka a sexual relationship. Blah blah blah, you've been warned!**

**Disclaimer:**_I do not own any original characters... blah blah yaddah yaddah._

A blood curtling scream awoke the apartment -maybe even the whole of Los Angeles-, setting it into motion. Angel moved as fast as he could to his feet, following the sound into the kitchen. Wesley sat upright on the couch, grasping his chest and shoving his glasses on. Cordelia stood in front of the refrigerator, freezer door opened, hand clamped over her mouth.

"Cordelia, whats wrong?" Angel scratched the back of his head, "And how did you get in here?"

She spoke through the creases in her hand, "Why is there a human hand in the freezer?"

Angel couldn't help but smirk, "It's uh... a souvenir?"

Wesley made it to his feet, scratching at the scruff on his face and shut the door to the freezer. "Yes, we rode the roller coaster at Wolfram and Hart last night."

"Lyndsey didn't keep his hands inside the cart while in motion." Angel moved further into the kitchen, crossing his arms over his chest as he waited to access his refrigerator. "You still didn't answer my question."

Cordelia turned, "Sorry I guess I'm not used to seeing human hands in the freezer or something."

"How did you get in?"

"Oh, I made copies of your keys." She said it as if there was nothing wrong with it and everybody stole their employer's keys to make copies.

Angel said nothing, simply moved to the refrigerator, herding them with his body out of the way and set to warming up more than a few cups of blood.

Cordelia and Wesley headed up to the office, the filing hadn't been done in days, answering machines ignored in lieu of the holiday.

Returning to the bed room with two large glasses of blood, Angel glanced over Nefertiti's sleeping form. The wounds were nearly healed, leaving tiny dots all over her body and swelling in some places. Placing one glass on the bedside table he bent slightly to brush a few strands of hair from her face. He watched the delicate crease of her brow, the slow opening of heavy eyelids, and the provocative stretch. "Morning."

Nefertiti had trouble keeping her eyes open, but pushed herself up slowly to take the cup Angel was offering her. "You should be resting."

"So should you." He took up the glass from the night table, taking a few mouthfuls.

"Touche." Nefertiti drank slowly, feeling restored as she did so.

-

Frowning at the blinking 0 on the answering machine, Cordelia turned on the computer to check her email. Email was productive, right? Besides, from the look of things, Angel wouldn't be prancing out to the call of duty for some time. Wesley had phoned her late last night, not going into explicit detail, but enough to make her want to itch her skin off. She had plenty of skeevy to deal with already on account of scratch and sniff visions. She would never forgive Doyle for passing them on to her. Maybe she would.

Wesley set to work on brewing a fresh pot of coffee, the lack of proper sleep hitting hard on him this morning. Shoving the filter tray to snap shut he turned, quirking a brow in Cordelia's direction. "Cordy?"

She matched his brow, "Wes?"

"I was thinking," He moved, seating his arse on a corner of her desk nearest to her chair. "Why not take the day off, you and I?"

A smirk brightened her features considerably, "You've certainly had worse ideas." Shutting the computer down in record time she stood, following Wesley to the basement apartment. "Angel?" Not wanting to see anything too graphic, she called out before stepping to the bedroom doorway. Angel lay curled protectively around Nefertiti, one eye peering in her direction. "We're taking off."

Angel slid his eye closed, nuzzling into Nefertiti and shook his head in acknowledgement.

Cordelia followed Wesley out the back, locking up with her spare key before leaving.

"Your place or mine?" Wesley offered his arm for her to take.

"I'm slightly afraid, I've never seen your place before." Cordelia slid her arm in the crook of his elbow, her purse lightly tapping her hip as they walked. "Yours and Italian food this time."

-

Lilah Morgan, sworn mortal enemy to a one Lyndsey McDonald, found her high heeled shoes sounding down a sterile hallway to visit said enemy. She wasn't sure why she'd come, something inside of her -far, far down- felt like it was the right thing to do. But, then again, how often did Lilah Morgan do the right thing? Hardly ever. She could remember a time, when she was younger that wrong and right were two very different colors. Now, they seemed to be the same shade of black. Her conscience went into hibernation sometime after law school, just after she'd been recruited by Wolfram and Hart. She'd had a different plan. Different ambitions back then. Now her wants and desires swayed to the highest bidder. Whoever said money talks was right. A scholar even.

The fine fabrics of her tailored suit swished about her, the charcoal knee length skirt doing things for her figure a workout never could. Fiddling with the cuffs to her blazer, she stared at the closed door in front of her, the sorry excuse for a window displaying the blue pattern of a hospital gown. Taking a deep breath she opened the door, the almost annoyed click of the handle disrupting the silence of the room as it closed. Lyndsey was sleeping, the bandages around his neck inspiring a feeling within her she hadn't felt in quite some time. So long that she couldn't recall the word for it. Anger? No. Loathing? No. While those were both feelings that had become synonyms to Lyndsey McDonald in their time working together, they weren't right this time. She moved as silently as she could in heels, taking up residence in a chair by the window.

Lilah wasn't used to seeing Lyndsey unshaven and the five o'clock shadow complimented him nicely. His hair was still matted with blood, gripping to his forehead. Sorrow? Yes. Sympathy? Yes. Those were the emotions she was looking for. And, more than likely, then some. Shifting forward in the chair she carefully picked the hair up from his face, brushing it to the side. Was she mistaken? There was no way she cared for him. No possible way, even in a dimension with no shrimp, that she did. But then again, she hadn't experienced this feeling in an excruciatingly long time. Sure she had flings, one night stands and things of that ilk. But, caring for someone, now that was really something. His left hand shot up, faster than she could react, to grasp her wrist. His eyes, once brilliant and sparkling were now dull and saddened.

"I know you can't speak," Perhaps this situation called for a little tenderness. "But I was worried about you."

A horrible gurgling sound came from him, most likely a laugh and he shook his head. There was no reason for Lilah Morgan to be visiting him, unless the firm sent her to kill him. Right?

"Look, I should be at a meeting with a new client right now, perhaps you can try and work with me for once. And I know what your thinking, 'Lilah we're lawyers, there is no working together.' While that may be true, Lyndsey, look around you," She gestured with her free hand, "we're not at work right now."

She must have switched to decaf. The lack of caffeine must be driving her positively mad. This was not Lilah Morgan speaking. Maybe she was posessed? He released her hand and made a writing motion with his left hand, trying to ask for a pen and paper. As they were handed to him he began attempting to write with his non-dominant hand. A chore all in it's own.

Lilah took the pad into her hands and smirked at the chicken scratch. "No, I'm not posessed." She recieved a questioning look from Lyndsey and sighed. "Your a horrible, cock biting bastard."

Lyndsey smirked and nodded. Maybe it was Lilah after all. Taking the pad back he scribbled again.

"Why not press the call button? The nurses will bring it to you."

Another painstaking scribble.

_'I like making you work for me.'_

Lilah rolled her eyes and rose, heading out the door.

If she was going to be 'nice' to him, he was certainly going to use it to it's full advantages. The sight of Lilah carrying a jello cup and plastic spoon was enough to make him want to laugh. Her entire aura screamed cold hearted bitch, not soccer mom toting jello. Lyndsey nodded at her in approval, a bit of spark returning to his eyes. He watched Lilah open the cup and then look from his left hand to his right, back to his face.

"Need help little boy?"

He gave her a stern look, but the amusement seeped through in his gaze. Lilah Morgan, number one bitch of Wolfram and Hart was spoon feeding him jello. If only he had a camera.

-

The week had gone by unusually quick for all of Angel Investigations. The work was slow, in fact non existent, dragging the days out in useless banter. Angel slept for three days and nights, his transformation complete. The world was different, yet it moved the same. The colors were more vibrant, yet they hadn't changed at all. Everything was different for him, yet nothing changed at all. Moving to the window behind Cordelia's desk he poked a finger between the blinds, the sun's warmth no longer a threat to his pale skin.

Cordelia peeked over her shoulder at him and swiveled in her chair, pulling the blinds up.

The sudden light burned his eyes, his arm defensively shielding them. "Cordelia."

"Your welcome. Invest in some sunglasses."

"Cordelia." Wesley's tone was soft, yet chiding. "Have some sympathy." He moved to the blinds, letting them slide to their usual shielding state.

Angel lowered his arm, blinking the faint sting away.

The glass door rattled open, calling their attention. Cordelia and Angel stood in shock, mouths agape, as Wesley moved to greet the visitor hand shake at the ready.

"Welcome to Angel Investigations, we-"

"Help th' hopeless, I know." The Irish lilt filled the room, returning the handshake. "Don't look so suprised."

"You know each other?" Wesley shoved his hands in his pockets, rocking on his heels.

"You could say that, yeah."

"Doyle." The ability to speak just returned to him, coming in nervous stumbling spurts. "How...you...why?"

Cordelia remained silent, stunned by the vision that greeted her. For over a year she had tried so hard to forget him. Tried so hard to come to terms with the empty, hollow bits he had left behind. And now here he was, dressed in a green checkered shirt and brown pants. Standing she moved over to him and gave him a welcoming slap in the face.

"Geez princess! What was that 'un for?"

Her finger pointed angrily at him, "How dare you leave like that! Just go ahead and save the day by poofing yourself!"

"It's not like I had much choice or anythin'!" He rubbed at his cheek, only making it redder.

Cordelia smiled, wide and bright, nearly jumping on top of him.

Doyle closed his eyes, inhaling every inch of her. "I missed you too princess."

Angel inched forward, if he moved too fast Doyle might vanish and he'd wake up. "Uhm... how?"

Doyle released Cordelia, watching her pour a cup of coffee as he spoke. "I had a little help from a friend."

The door opened again, closing behind the petite figure.

"Nefertiti?" Angel's brows furrowed, finger moving between Nefertiti and Doyle as he spoke. "You...him...how?"

Doyle grabbed Angel's finger, pointing it back at the vampire. "Careful, you could hurt someone with tha' thing." Looking on in delight at the vampire's confused look he giggled. "I'm glad to see you've become more articulate in my absence."

Wesley slunk back towards the basement stairs, glancing one last time at the three before disappearing into the depths. He finally had managed to find his niche in the office, now it seemed he was being replaced.

Nefertiti smirked and curtseyed in jeans, "I am magic." With a wink she set her things down on the couch and placed a kiss on Angel's very confused cheek. "You know, your face could get stuck like that."

Angel swallowed hard and adjusted his voice. "Explain later."

"There's plenty of time for that mess." Doyle took the offered mug from Cordelia and sipped. "Right now, all I can think about is a drink."

Nefertiti poked her head around the corner, scenting Wesley but not seeing him. Following the scent trail to the basement he spied him.

Wesley stood with his head against the basement door, silent breakdown approaching. He'd never fit in anywhere in his life. Not with his father. Not at the academy. Not in Sunnydale. And not now. It had been nice for the past eight months, not feeling like the odd man out. Sure there were moments of the feeling, but for the most part Angel and Cordelia accepted him for what he was.

Nefertiti moved silently to stand beside him. "Wesley, don't fret."

Wesley nearly lept out of his skin, turning his back to the wall and grabbed his chest. "I didn't hear you coming."

"I get that a lot." She pulled his hand from his chest and cradled it between hers. "They are not shunning you Wesley."

The woman was quick. "I-" He interrupted himself with a shaky frustrated sigh. "Mid life crisis."

Nefertiti nodded, "Then there is nothing I can say to stop it."

Wesley shook his head, sliding down the door until he sat on the floor, dragging Nefertiti with him. "I...every time I find a niche..." He shook his head again, a surge of emotion taking him over and hung his head low.

Nefertiti kneeled beside him, rubbing calming circles across his back. "I know how you feel. Being a creature of the night, I know the feeling well." Seating herself on the floor she pulled him into an embrace, rocking slightly in the way a mother would an infant. "The best thing to do, is let it out. You've already spent too long bottling things up."

Wesley said nothing, simply because he couldn't. What an image he must be conveying, jagged breathing and sniveling like a child. If he ever had a minute chance with the goddess before him, it was certainly lost now. He allowed himself to be rocked, the calming motion across his back helping to subdue a full blown panic attack. For whatever reason when he was upset like this, the only thing that came to mind was his father. Ignoble, tortuous, irascible, vengeful bastard. Wesley had not one nice memory of him. Not one nice thought towards him.

Nefertiti placed a chaste kiss to his temple, using her other hand to rub his head, playing in his hair as she did so. From the day she met him she held a soft spot for him. She couldn't explain it, but she cared for him. In what way she could not discern, simply knew that she cared. She could feel him beginning to calm, his pulse slowly returning to it's normal rate.

"Whats going on?"

Nefertiti didn't hear Angel coming and peered up at him. "Mid life crisis."

Angel caught a glimpse of Wesley's reddened eyes, the tear stains on Nefertiti's white peasant shirt and calmed. "Sorry... I..." He picked at his nails, "Sorry." He turned around and went back to the office, not wanting to get too personal with Wesley. It wasn't even that he didn't want to, it was unfamiliar territory. It wasn't something guys did. Normally, anyways.

Wesley shifted, pulling back slightly but not completely out of her embrace. "I'm sorry about all of that."

"Don't be my sweet Wesley. I have an eternity of shoulders to cry on for you." She paused, running her last statement through her head again. "Now I sound like some strange, multi-shouldered beast."

Wesley couldn't help but crack a smile at that and removed his glasses, staring down at the droplets of angst they gathered.

Nefertiti leaned forward slightly, wiping the droplets from his face and enjoyed the unshaven look on him. "The scruff works for you, you should keep it."

Wesley didn't think twice about his next moves, it seemed to just come naturally. Glasses discarded upon the floor next to him, hands reached up to gently cup her face, lips tasting hers.

Nefertiti couldn't move, wether it was from the shock of his bold move, or the fact that she liked it she wasn't sure. But, for whichever reason, she kissed him back. His lips were soft and caring, the slight beard brushing across her chin not un-enjoyable. Her thoughts turned to Angel as she pulled away from him, her hand flying to swollen lips. "Wesley..."

"I'm sorry." He scooted back and stood. "I don't know what came over me." Yes, you do, Wesley. He offered his hand to her and helped her to her feet.

"It's not like I stopped you right away." Her gaze darted nervously about, running her tongue over her lips to capture the last remnants of his taste.

"Still, it's my doing."

"What is?" Angel had a stern look on his face, his gaze fixing on Nefertiti. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Nefertiti's heart beat quickened and followed after him into the bedroom.

"I'm going to ask you once and only once. What just happened?"

Nefertiti sighed, "He's confused, thats all that happened in there."

Angel grasped her arm at the elbow, jerking her forward. "**Don't** lie to me, Nefertiti. I can smell him all over you!" The demon was much stronger than he now, itching to be released. "Your desire and his fill the air with their stink!"

She remained silent, nothing she could say would calm the beast inside of him now.

"What was it you were wanting? What were you desiring so badly?" Taking her by both elbows he pushed her backwards into the door. "Was it this?" The kiss was rough and uncaring. "Maybe even this?" He ripped the shirt she was wearing in half, biting down hard enough to draw blood from her breast.

"Angel, stop it!"

Placing her on the ground he stepped backwards until he hit the armoire. There was a time when he'd take what he wanted from the fairer sex, but that was a long time ago and he was past it. Right?

"Angel," She stepped forward, "it's not that I didn't like where it was going..." Nefertiti moved slowly till she stood chest to chest with him.

"That wasn't me." The sight of blood dripping down beyond his line of vision was almost enough to drive him mad.

"I know. Why do you think I didn't stop you?" Steering him in the direction of the bed she nudged him backwards to sit. "The demon is at it's strongest now, Angel." She sat on his lap, facing him, her crimson stained breasts teasingly close to his face. "You'll have to find _some_way to calm it." Placing a pointer finger to her chin she tapped lightly, "Hmmm, whatever shall you do?"

Angel slid his hands up her back, flipping them around so he was hovering over her on the bed.

"My, my this looks familiar."

Sinking his teeth into the previous bite mark he silenced her into a series of indescribable whimpers. The change in him heightened his senses. Taste being a particularly delicious one at the moment. Licking the slow trickle clean, he kissed and suckled his way up her neck, pausing long enough to leave a bruise in one spot before meeting his lips with hers. The kiss this time was long, slow, and tortuous. Running a hand between them he undid her jeans, resting on his knees to slide them off of her hips with his thumbs. Kissing a trail down to her navel, he shifted pushing her jeans completely off. Angel dragged his teeth over her flesh lightly, receiving the gasp he'd hoped for and made his way to her center.

Nefertiti sat up, leaning on her elbows. "No, no, no. No way are you starting that again. I'll be spent before we get to the juicy stuff!" Beckining him with her finger, she sat up to undo his belt, followed by his pants. She had guessed him to be endowed by their previous interactions, but she still couldn't help a smirk at the sight. Naked and muscularly defined, sat -knelt, really- the man of her dreams. She was lucky enough to meet him twice in her lifetime. Perhaps she **had** lived for too long.

Angel wiggled out of his pants, coming down to rest comfortably between her legs. He could remember a time when he was a bit more agile in the sack, but it had been a long time. Brushing a few stray hairs from her face he nibbled lightly at her bottom lip.

"Angel?"

"Mmm?" He kissed down her neck, taking an erect nipple into his mouth.

"Not- mmm, complaining or anything-" She cut herself off with a gasp, "but, can you just get on with it, please?" Letting a small moan escape she bit her lower lip. "I can't take it anymore."

Angel smiled, releasing the nipple and simply kissed a trail to her other one, swirling painstaking circles with his tongue.

Nefertiti's hands traveled his back, lightly dragging her nails down it to make him squirm. "Angel.."

He could hear the pout in her voice and released her nipple, kissing her again. "Ready?" His eyes traveled across her face, hand traveling down between them to position himself at her opening and teased for a moment. He had always loved to tease. Aside from the exhilaration of a hunt, he couldn't think of anything he liked more, actually, than to tease a woman into a whimpering mess. Sliding himself into her slowly he hung his head down to meet her forehead, pausing a moment to revel in the feeling. He had romanced a handful of women in his day -the demon usually opting for just taking- but never enjoyed one so much as Nefertiti.

Nefertiti arched into him, moving her hips to match his thrusts. Although Angel and Amenhotep were one in the same, this felt different. Perhaps he had changed in his second life. She surely hoped he had grown out of his insatiable desire for women that werent her.

Angel placed kisses across her face, placing a dark, sensual kiss on her lips. His thrusts were long, deep and steady. Not slow, but not fast. A tortuous, moan inspiring pace. A feral growl escaped from his lips as Nefertiti sunk her teeth into his neck and he quickened his pace, feeling hers and his release coming quickly. Her inner walls clenched tight around him, sending his thrusts erratic as he sunk his teeth into her neck.

-

Doyle followed after Cordelia into the bowels of the rented offices and smirked, hearing the familiar sounds of coitus. "Now tha's wha' I'm talkin' about." Realization! "Wait, tha's not Angel makin' with tha' happy is it?"

Cordelia rolled her eyes, "Long story, something about his soul being bound and daywalking."

"Slow down there princess. Daywalking?!"

Wesley spoke from the far corner of the room, seated against the brick wall. "Nefertiti changed him into a daywalker and now... Well, he can do as he pleases."

"Tha's great!" He still held the cup of coffee, now smirking at the moans echoing in the small space.

Wesley stood, putting his glasses back on and headed for the back door. He didn't wish to see them together anymore. Not just Cordelia and Doyle, but Angel and Nefertiti also. It was all too much to take right now. "Em... Goodnight..." He had to admit he was surprised when Cordelia bounded over to him, curls bouncing delicately around her face, to kiss him.

"Goodnight, Wesley." Cordelia peered up as Wesley, trying to discern the look on his face. Hurt? Yes. Confusion? Yes Anger? Yes.

"Night Wes!" Doyle called across the room.


	13. Ancient Awakenings

**Chapter 13: Ancient Awakenings**

**AN: **_Evilness. And sorry this took so long. Mostly are two sentences I translated into Ancient Egyptian according to some charts and websites online, I do not know how right they are but included the English translation in bold/italic and quotes after their respective sentences. Enjoy and please review!!_

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own any of these characters aside from Nefertiti and I do not profit from this work of fiction. _

The night was silent for the most part, Doyle's snores echoing across the living room and through Angel's bedroom door. Nefertiti lay naked and curled up at Angel's side, small puffs of tired breath wisking across his chest. Angel lay awake as she slept into the night, strumming his fingertips above his peck. A hollow sound made itself at home somewhere within as an evil, twisted smile draped itself across his features. He moved silently and slowly, careful not to wake the woman beside him and rose, moving to his closet.

His eyes shone in the darkness as his fingers sought out what he was after, the leather pants – still belted – from a few days ago and his black button down. Angel shrugged the articles on quickly, the leather slightly creaking as it warmed to him. He padded naked feet out into the living room, his smirk intensifying as the snoring abruptly stopped.

"Bout time boy'o." Doyle's voice was near silent, but just enough of a whisper for Angel to catch.

"T'was the night after Christmas and all through the house," He held back a giggle, "two creatures were stirring, one resembling a louse."

"Hey now, evil needs a kind word too now and again." Doyle rose, headed towards the stairs and hurried up them, Angel in tow.

Angel hurried behind him, taking the steps by two, "Where's the meeting?"

Doyle shoved the door to the roof open, a flashlight beaming them in the eyes.

"Just in time Mister Doyle." The flashlight lowered, Lilah taking a few steps forward to come into proper view. "And Angel-"

"Right and mighty Lord I hate that name."

"Angelus, then? If your through pouting, I'd like to get on with business."

"A woman tha's straight to the point," Doyle's eyes roamed Lilah's body, making a lewd gesture with his hips, "I'd like one as a late Christmas present."

Angelus took a few steps forward, advancing on Lilah, "I think it can be arranged." He stopped short, strumming a thoughful finger on his chin, "After business is taken care of."

Doyle pouted at Angelus, flicking his attention to Lilah instead. "Out with it, woman!"

Lilah adjusted over the slight nerves in the back of her throat, "As you know our target is Nefertiti and the price for her safe capture and turn over high. The firm wishes to awaken the evil inside of her and use it to our advantage." She looked between both of them, "Think you can handle it boys?"

"That's it?" Doyle crossed his arms over his chest, flexing his jaw muscles in slight irritation. "I thought this was supposed to be a challenge."

Angelus held a hand up to stop Doyle in his reverie. "And what about the visions?"

"The Chase girl is being taken care of, the firm is diverting her visions as we speak." Lyndsey stepped forward, throat bandaged and gurgling rasp in his voice, arm in a sling.

Angelus laughed, pulling an eerie chill into the night air, "I see soul boy certainly left his mark with you, eh?"

"Gonna make it difficult to sign our checks, yeah?" The Irish accent played through a set of giggles, cold blue eyes sparkling in the darkness.

Lilah stepped back into the shadows, nudging Lyndsey along, "We will be in touch."

"They're going to have their people call our people."

Doyle rubbed lightly at his stomach, "I hope they're wantin' to do lunch."

-

Cordelia sat at her desk in the office, thumping out a tune with the eraser end of her pencil across the wood.

"Studious as always." Wesley fixed himself a cup of coffee, his sudden interruption causing Cordelia to jump.

"I'm..." She huffed, "I was thinking about doughnuts."

"Doughnuts?"

"Yeah and the Olde English who didn't bring any in this morning!"

Wesley took up a stack of books from beside the coffee maker and shuffled into Angel's office, placing them in their proper places on the shelves. "Have you seen Angel today?" He called over his shoulder, sipping at his mug as he leaned in the doorframe.

"Yeah, The Dark Avenger is out Avenging his tan. Well, lack of one anyways." She placed the pencil on the desk, frowning as it rolled off the opposite end. "What do you think we should do tonight?"

Wesley caught a sip of coffee in the back of his throat, "Pardon?"

"It's New Year's Eve Wes, I can't be expected to sit around visionless **and** partyless."

"Your the one that goes out and shakes her groove thing, I'm just a simple librarian. Why ask me where the happening spot is tonight?" His tone was pale and dry.

"God, grumpsville much?" She glanced over at the clock, frowning at the meagre hour of eleven thirty and turned her attention to the staircase as heels sounded on it.

Nefertiti fidgeted under the gaze of the two, unsure of what to say at the sudden attention. "Um... can I help you?"

"I thought Angel said you were going out for lunch?" Cordelia rested her chin in her hand, peering across to Nefertiti in slight confusion.

"He called, yes but I decided he'd be better off catching up with Doyle."

Cordelia humphed, "He's been back on Earth for less than a week and he's already got more of a social life than I do."

-

Angelus leapt over the counter of the small shop to the customer side, slamming his open hand down on the bell a few times, "Hellooooo! Can't a guy get some decent service around here?!"

Doyle popped his head through a shelf, the shopkeeper's glasses hanging at the tip of his nose, "Didn' anyone ever tell ya' not ta' play with your food?"

"My Mom did," Moving back behind the register he dragged the lifeless shopkeeper out by a pudgy arm, leaving him sprawled in the middle of the floor, "Then I ate her." He sucked lightly on a fang, picking idly at the bloodstain under his nails. "So Doyle, ol' pal, what about you and Cordy? Gonna rekindle love lost?"

Doyle's head appeared at the end of the store, following a few books and manuals he'd tossed over his shoulder. "If I can find the book I'm lookin' for yeah." He disappeared behind the shelving.

Angelus huffed, his yellowed eyes surveying the destruction and moved to sift through a pile of books. "Well," He fingered one book, the symbol on the front telling him it was what they'd been looking for in the past half hour, "You'll never find it back there."

It sounded like an entire shelf of books collapsed ontop of Doyle. "And," He giggled, dragging himself out of the pile, "What makes ya' say that?"

"Because I have it in my hands your arse."

Doyle frowned and headed to see the book Angelus was referring to, "Yep that'd be it."

Angelus handed the book to Doyle, returning his face to it's smoother human appearance. "Your sure we can awaken all four from this book?"

"They didn't make me high priest back in the day for nothing." He shuffled a few pages just to make sure, "I'm suprised Nefertiti hasn't sniffed us out yet."

"She's blinded by the light." He clutched his hands over his chest.

"Light up like a douche?" Doyle finished part of the song lyric.

Angelus chuckled, "I still can't believe Angel wore parachute pants." He visibly shook himself and swung the door open, heading onto the street. "Makes me want to vomit."

"Ya' sure it's not just the shopkeeper?"

-

Nefertiti dropped a stack of books, watching in amusement as Wesley's head smacked against Angel's desk before jolting upright. "Good Evening Wesley."

Wesley ran a hand over his face, placing his glasses back on his nose, "Evening." He looked about the room briefly before rising, taking the books from Nefertiti and placing them in their respective places in the shelves. "I suppose I should walk Cordelia."

"I just got back from walking her home. You looked like you could use the rest."

That made him a bit nervous. Alone in the offices with Nefertiti. It certainly inspired some interesting thoughts. "I see."

"Dinner is ready if your hungry."

"Oh I shouldn't-"

"Steak and potatoes."

"Really?" A certain child like gleam filled his eyes at the mention of steak and he headed in the direction of the basement. And it smelled delicious. He couldn't recall the last time he'd treated himself to a tender slab of beef and pulled a chair out for Nefertiti before seating himself at the opposite end of the table.

Nefertiti poured herself a glass of wine, crossing her legs delicately and passed the bottle to Wesley.

"Thank you, Nefertiti. You really didn't have to-"

"Hush. I can tell your hungry." She watched him smile politely and begin eating, sipping from her glass as the plate before her sent delicious smelling puffs of steam up to her nose.

-

The lights flickered as she moved to the kitchen, "Phantom Dennis! Humans don't have ghostly night vision!" She quirked a brow at a knock on her door and turned around making her way to answer it. The chain moved suddenly, locking her completely inside. "Dennis!" She hissed and undid the locks, smiling at ther visitors.

"Hey Cordy!" Angelus chimed, a bit too peppy even for his liking. "We were in the neighborhood and thought we'd... you know."

Cordelia took a step back, allowing them passage into the room and frowned at Angel who stood on the other side of the doorframe, hands stuffed awkwardly in his pockets. "Oh thats right I have to-"

Angelus stepped over the threshold, standing a breath away from her, "You already did a couple of months ago." He moved to the side, following Doyle into the apartment and took a seat in the middle of the couch.

Cordelia smiled at Doyle before pushing past him to stand over Angel, behind the couch. "I'd offer you a beer or something, but the fridge is empty."

"That's alright we didn't come here to chat." Angelus picked the remote up and turned the TV on.

"Sorry Princess." Doyle took a step forward, punching Cordelia in the back of the head and rendering her unconscious. "You'll thank me later." Doyle opened the book he had at his side, turning to the appropriate page and removed a vial of foul smelling paste, smearing it in runes on her forehead.

As Doyle began to chat Angelus tuned him out, shifting into a comfortable position on the couch. "I wonder if Scrubs is on."

-

Angelus sniffed at the vial as Doyle reached up to his forehead, drawing the appropriate runes. "This stuff smells worse than the rotting plague."

"It has some bloated flesh in it." Doyle said matter of factly and returned his attention to the book. "Now, clear your mind and shut up."

"Easier said then done." He closed his eyes and breathed deep, clearing his mind with the exhale as Doyle began to chant. The chanting only took a few minutes but the feeling it brought about was bigger and better than anything he had ever experienced before. He opened his eyes, the surging power within him causing him to smile and laugh. Angelus flexed his hands, looking to Cordelia and then Doyle. "Well slap my ass and call me... wait who am I again?"

"Sutekh."

-

Wesley rubbed at his stomach, the full feeling overwhelming him and he stretched over the back of the kitchen chair, frowning as the power went out. "Must have blown a fuse." The only indication that he stood was the scrape of the chair across the linoleum.

"No," Nefertiti stood as well, moving to stand protectively in front of Wesley, "Something is wrong."

"Oh Lucy!" A fake Ricky Riccardo accent came from the stairs, "I'm home!" The voice came closer, this time using it's original tone, "And you made me dinner, how sweet."

"Angelus."

He made the sound of a buzzer, "Nope, would you like to take a guess at whats behind door number two?"

Nefertiti took a deep breath, feeling the static in the air out. "Sutekh. Wesley," She shifted so the back door was behind them, "Run."

"And his all star band." The Irish accent wafted through the open rear door, "Now, now before the place gets destroyed and Wes here meets an untimely doom,"

"Fuck you! Wesley spat from under his grasp.

Doyle pressed a blade to his throat, "As I was saying, Nefertiti come with us and Watcher boy keeps his life."

Nefertiti sighed, Angelus advanced trapping her in a corner of the kitchen. "Fine. Just let him go."

Angelus took one hulking step forward, grabing her against his body, "Come now don't be shy with me." He pulled her closer. "Your body screams for Angel." He sniffed up the side of her neck, "Come on doll, we both look the same."

Doyle tossed Wesley out the back door, making sure to gouge a deep cut across his neck before discarding him. "Come on boy'o, we haven't got all night."

Angelus pouted, "Until next time then." He held onto her, dragging her across the room to stand at Doyle's side.

Doyle pressed a few buttons. "Ready for extraction." He hung up and less than two seconds later a small army of men dressed in all black came crawling through every avenue of the apartment.

Angelus turned Nefertiti over to one of the men, "Hang on boys," He shuffled in his pocket and smeared a less foul smelling balm type substance across his lips, "At least let me say goodbye first." He snaked a hand around the back of her head and pressed his lips fiercely to hers only allowing her to pull apart a breath as he whispered, "Resut Nebthet, resut." _**["Awaken Nebthet, awaken!"]**_

Nefertiti swallowed the words, her eyes glowing a different shade momentarily before she released an evil laugh, "Iwi hr resut, Iwi hr mrit Sutekh."_** ["I am awake, upon loving Sutekh."] **_She shifted slightly in his grasp and looked around at the men, "Are they enemies to you Pharoah?"

Angelus smirked and nodded his head, feeling the air being sucked dry of power as Nefertiti incinerated them without so much as breaking a sweat. "That is a **great** power!" He looked over his shoulder to Doyle, "Can I do that?"

"In time, dear Pharoah. I shall teach you." Nefertiti answered for Doyle and pulled away walking to stand over Wesley's crumpled form in the parking garage. She frowned, cocking her head slightly. "I like this one." She said simply. Feeling Angelus wrap himself around her.

"You won't for long."

"We can make use of him."

"You really want him?" He quirked a brow at her and released her as she shook her head yes. "He's going to have to get some rest before you can play with him."

Nefertiti bent, taking Wesley's arm in her hand and dragged him behind her to the car, lifting him into the backseat. "His life is almost gone." She slid into the backseat with Wesley, watching him curiously.

Angelus jumped into the driver's seat, waiting for Doyle to get in the passenger seat before peeling out. "We'll get him to the hospital for some band aids and pick him up later, how's that sound honey?"

Nefertiti almost purred and clapped her hands together, "Yes, yes! I love playtime!"

-


	14. Candle Wax & Holy Jeans

**Chapter 14:**_Candle Wax & Holy Jeans_

**AN:** _This chapter is full of smutty goodness! I am so sorry I haven't updated in forever and I hope this works as an apology. Computer problems and writers block are a deadly combination. Hopefully now I'll be able to get the figurative ball moving on this story once again. Enjoy ;x ! Review please ;D_

Angelus peered over the back of his seat at the broken sight of Wesley, "Looks like this is your stop, bub!" In one swift movement he pushed himself up from his seat and over the side of the door, swinging it open to drag the ex-watcher out. He got a good grip under Wesley's arms, watching the small pathways in the mud the heels of his shoes made. Angelus laid him down on his side and gave him a push down the side of the hill and into the middle of the Emergency Room parking lot. With a smirk he noted how closely the red of the neon matched that of the blood adorning Wesley's normally painfully boring expressions.

His gaze jerked suddenly up at the sound of someone approaching the Englishman's limp body and he narrowed his eyes slightly to take in the detail of the couple better. _'Complete with two one serving sides of ripened youth.'_ His inner voice referred to the newborn twins the couple cradled on their way into the ER. _'I could just eat you up.'_ Angelus shook his head slightly as his inner voice now adopted a tone as if lamenting a child. With a snort and a wide, sadistic smile he noted that the couple hurried past Wesley and into the Hospital without so much as a second glance. "You always were a bore Wes."

"I appreciate the fact that your reminiscing memories of the good ole' days boy'o, but we gotta hightail it outta here or I'm gonna miss out." The last few accented words were accompanied with a wiggling of brows and a slight jiggle of hips.

Angelus turned with an interested smirk, heading back in the direction of the car, "Don't worry Doylie, Pandora's saved her box all for you."

He leapt off of the bed as the phone rang out into the night. It was rather late, certainly Buffy wouldn't be calling at this hour. He rolled onto his side, turning the light on and reaching for the telephone. Quickly he adjusted his voice before speaking into the receiver, "I do hop you realize what an inconvenience this call is at such-" His brows furrowed with the caller asking for his full name with a sense of urgency. "Rupert Giles, yes, this is he." He shuffled awkwardly for a moment into a sitting position and reached for his glasses on the night stand. "Yes I am a friend of Mister Pryce we used to be colleagues. Please, tell me what this is in regards to?" His face dropped in shock at the news. He had never quite liked Wesley Wyndham Pryce but he surely never wished anything like this upon the man. "I see, but how could I be the only person listed?" He sighed in agitation, perhaps it was a dumb question. "Very well, thank-" He pulled the handset from his ear and stared at it for a moment as the low hum of the dial tone filled the immediate space.

"But Xander, a Scooby in need is a Scooby...indeed!" Willow tried her most encouraging smile and enthusiastic arm movements, but this subject seemed unmovable.

"Will, it's not that I don't get what your saying here because, for once, I do. All physics theories and Einstein hypoth..e..sis..es aside, it's three in the morning and I am not driving to LA."

"Famous last words Xander Harris."

As Willow climbed into the back of the van she couldn't help the large smile that overtook her face. She glanced down at her wrist watch. "Only thirty minutes... Record timing." The last bit was said with a self appreciative nod as she sorted the stacks of books beside her.

"So how **did** you get Peachy Pants here to drive?" Spike lifted the cigarette to his lips, inhaling deeply and casting Willow an inquisitive look.

"Yeah, well... Peachy Pants might be tempted to go back to bed!" Xander started the van and glared in the empty rear view mirror in Spike's general direction.

"Unlikely." Spike leaned forward, pulling the blanket rig across the back half of the van, encasing him in protective darkness. "So Strawberry Shortcake," He noted a slight blush that heated the apples of Willow's cheeks and smirked, forcing the rest of the smoke from his nostrils. "Don't leave out any of the good details." He goaded her with a sickly sweet voice, biting back a laugh.

Willow smirked at Spike and began thumbing through the text she had been reading earlier, "Never underestimate the powers of female persuasion." She let that sink in for a few moments, idly turning a page, before squeaking out a, "Or a banana split."

"Aw Peaches, I had no idea you could be bought for so cheap!"

The curtain rustled a bit as if Xander were trying to point at him through the fabric, "Listen Sir Flame A Lot, the depth of Xander Haris's self worth is unknown. In fact," The turning signal blinked for a moment in the short pause Xander gave, "It's still uncharted territory!"

"Not the best comeback." Giles' voice sounded in a manner that you could hear his eyes rolling.

"What about this one?"

"What the fuck man are we living back in the Middle Ages?" Doyle puffed heavily on the Marlboro lodged between his teeth, humorous eyebrow raised firstly to Angelus and secondly at the Estate in question.

Angelus gritted his teeth slightly, he found the home to be perfect for everything they would need. His skin itched at the oncoming daylight and with a flex of his jaw he pulled the car down the long, winding driveway. "I like this one," He said through clenched teeth, "Besides," He shut the car off and opened the door. "We need time to regroup."

Nefertiti bounced slightly on her haunches at the sight of the Estate. It was more than huge and certainly somewhere she could see spending a lot of her time. But, this little gathering wasn't about what she wanted. She rose, accepting the hand held out by Angelus and followed after him towards the large front door.

Doyle sighed and got out of the car, turning to move the seat and help Cordelia out. He held out his hand to help her from the cramped backseat and as she stood he tugged her flush against him. "My little Pandora," His voice was but a mere whisper, fingers tracing lightly down the curve of her jawline. "How I've missed you."

Cordelia formed her body to his own, a soft whimper of longing escaping her lips as Doyle's eyes traveled across her body, violating and doing things to her that no man should be able to do with just their eyes. As his fingertips glided across her jaw her mouth salivated as the question of what he'd taste like formed in her head. Her eyes slid closed in anticipation, the heat radiating from Doyle coming closer until the tip of his nose rubbed the inlet of her ear.

Doyle brought his lips to her ear lobe in a hot, suckling embrace. Dragging his teeth painfully slow across her flesh he found his hips arching in response to the sounds of her want. He was aware of the front door opening and closing but he paid no mind, he was set to a much higher task at the moment. He smirked at the sight of her, eyes closed and lips swollen with desire. This would be a fun round of seduction.

He brought his face less than a breath away from her own, tracing a path with the tip of his nose and eyelashes across her cheek down to the gentle curve of her neck. He pulled his head up for a moment, taking the last burning drag of his smoke and flicked it away. Before she could strike a protest at the loss of contact his lips were pressed gently against the flesh of her neck. He released the hot smoke from his nostrils allowing it to dance across a fine trail of wet kisses.

Angelus sniffed at the air, noting the scent of passion seeping in from the closed door behind him, but behind it was another scent. A stronger scent. He turned his nose up, capturing the scent of a female. His eyes alighted, turning his attention to the crippled state of the lock on the front door to the hallway in front of them.

Nefertiti fixed her gaze on Angelus with a pout, "Share?"

"How could I say no to that?" Angelus smirked widely, stepping forward to wrap his arms around her. "Only if we can have a little fun." He felt her arms encircle his neck and noted her approving smile, bending to bring his lips to her own.

Nefertiti released a low growl as his mouth claimed her own and couldn't keep her fangs from coming down. With a half smile against his lips she took his lower one into his mouth and suckled on it eagerly to revel in the metallic taste of his blood.

Angelus couldn't deny the sense of urgency she had just brought to his need of her. Pulling back from her slightly with a pained look he motioned to the hallway with a slight jerk of his head, "Hold that thought, Gentle Goddess."

Nefertiti smirked at him and reached forward to wipe up the small trickle from his lower lip. She brought the fingertip to her mouth and licked it clean before dragging a fingernail roughly across her cheek. Using both hands she rubbed the violent red liquid across her face and took off down the hallway.

Angelus quirked a brow and took off after her, following through the living room and into one of the upstairs quarters. He slowed his pace as Nefertiti entered the bedroom and began screaming like a terrified banshee. He laughed as her statements of _'HELP!' _and _'Someone's after me!'_ were met by statements of reassurance. He shook his head at the apparent ignorance of humans; wake them from their sleep and they have no common sense. Just how did this woman expect not to be woken up but not one, but two intruders entered their home. Not to mention the other two intruders copulating in the garage. With a roll of his eyes he entered the bedroom as the lights were flicked on. The scent of fear immediately clouded the room and he reveled in it.

Nefertiti ripped the phone from the woman's hands as she took it to dial the authorities, smashing it in her grip as a look of absolute horror overtook the poor thing's face. She pouted, feeling a moment of sorrow for the human before her but felt it wash away as Angelus entered her line of view.

"W-what do you want?" The voice way young and shaking as it's owner backed into the nearest corner.

The woman was young, perhaps in her early twenties and had, quite possibly, the worst fight or flight response Angelus had ever seen. Firstly there was no fight, secondly her flight instinct directed her into a corner. He rolled his eyes at the thought and pressed forward into the room, slamming the door shut behind him. "Oh, come now, I don't think it is a question of what I want really. Because," He shoved his hands in his pockets and glanced around the room, taking on an heir of disinterest. "It really never is about that, is it? It's always about something else. Heck, I'll be generous." Angelus moved swiftly, almost too fast for the girl to see, to kneel in front of their entertainment for the evening. Grasping her chin between his thumb and forefinger he continued with a serious look, "What do **you** want?"

Nefertiti patted her mouth daintily through a yawn and set to snooping through the walk in closet.

Angelus could feel the girl shaking in front of him and his look hardened after a few moments of silence from the girl. "I said WHAT do **you** want?"

The girl jumped as he yelled, tears cascading down her tanned cheeks, "I don't know."

Angelus reeled back, unleashing one hell of a back hand to her cheek. He took her chin in his hand again, pressing forcefully down and directing her to look at him through a torrent of frightened cries. "I don't believe that is an appropriate answer."

The girl's eyes searched in vain to focus on something that wasn't her captor and she cried out in fear and frustration. How could she be expected to think of a proper answer to anything under these circumstances. "I-" She choked back a few tears and forced her voice out louder as his grip increased, "I want to live."

"Now that is a good answer." Angelus released her chin from his grasp and stood, pacing in small impatient circles in front of her. "And you know why it's a good answer." He didn't look to the girl he was questioning, instead kept his gaze focused ahead of him as her reply of intelligible muffled cries came to him. "Because it's an honest answer." Without warning he dropped to hunch in front of her, fixing her with a malicious gaze. "You know honesty," His voice completely betrayed his ill intent with it's sugary sweet, overly optimistic tones. "Honesty really is the best policy!"

Doyle couldn't help the laugh of amusement that escaped him as he noted the tortured screams coming from the confines of the home. He felt Cordelia pull away slightly at his laughter and he fixed her with a serious gaze.

"I've seen you laugh many times Allen Francis Doyle, but I have to say **now** is not really a time I pictured for you to be laughing." Her tone was serious but her amused smile showed that she wasn't offended and suspected the reason for it. "Maybe you could tell me **why** you insist on laughing at such a precious moment?"

"Nothing Princess," Another small laugh escaped, "It's got nothing to do with anythin' you and I are doing." He passed an eye down her tanned skin and the way it contrasted to the black leather of the backseat of the GTX. Trailing feather light fingertips down against the strap of her bra he finished, "Sounds like they're getting down to business in there, s'all."

Cordelia smirked, shuddering slightly at the trail of goosebumps Doyle ignited. "Perhaps we can get down to making our own business?" She raised a brow and brought her hands to the back of his neck, tugging his lips down to meet her own in a sensuous kiss.

Doyle responded to her every move, one hand pressed against the cold glass of the window for balance he used the other one to travel blindly across her stomach to the apex of her thighs. If only he had a dollar for every time he had managed to get a chick's panties off before her bra... Well, he'd have a dollar at any rate. Pushing the inane thought aside his fingertips brushed against the tight bundle of nerves at the beginning of her folds.

Cordelia arched against him as he found her most sensitive spot with ease, nails digging into the toned muscles of his back. "Doyle." Her voice was airy as she struggled to catch her breath but it was dripping with the sounds of her pleading.

Doyle sucked in his lower lip at the sound of her voice, shifting slightly as her fingertips pushed the last bits of his clothing out of the way. His breath caught in his throat as she took hold of him and began to work him up and down. Through a shaking moan he pulled back from her grasp, pulling her hips slightly down to meet his own. He wasn't sure when but at some point Cordelia had removed her bra and he bent to take a tightly furled peak into his mouth, delighting his tongue across it in as slow a manner he could.

"Allen..." Again her voice was low and pleading, but this time she had used his first name, something she hadn't meant to do and immediately hoped it was for the better.

Doyle's eyes shot up to meet her own at the use of his first name. He lifted his mouth from her breast and brought it to hover just above her own. "Say it again." He shifted his weight, both hands resting above her shoulders.

"Allen."

As the syllables left her mouth he pushed himself, with no warning, inside of her and smirked at the inflection his actions gave the name. He brought his lips to her own, beginning a slow, passionate dance of tongues and hips.

Angelus swallowed the last mouthful of blood from the now dead woman in his arms and dropped her with a resounding thud as he straightened himself. Pulling the cuffs on his shirt down from his elbows he noted the large bloodstains across his torso. Certainly the tidiness of his cuffs was something this outfit wasn't lacking. With a sigh he turned his attention to the figure perched in the doorway of the walk in closet.

Nefertiti raised a brow as Angelus finally decided to acknowledge her. She passed a hand down her side to rest at her hip, "Do you like what you see?"

He wasn't sure how he would be able to dislike the ensemble she was currently sporting. Or, perhaps better said, lack of ensemble. His eyes began at the tips of her toes, painted and set into a set of dangerously high black heels, to her completely bare legs and torso. Aside from a few pieces of strategic tape and a pair of the tiniest underwear he had ever seen, she was classifiably naked.

A slow smirk spread across his features as he crossed the room to her. The sound of a flicking lighter caught his attention to the dresser beside them; Nefertiti was lighting a trio of red pillar candles. When she had finished he returned his gaze to her own, allowing himself to be guided backwards to the bed. Their lips met briefly before the backs of his knees met the bed and he fell back onto it.

Nefertiti shot him a mischievous look before removing herself from his line of vision. She moved quickly to the candles and took one back to the bedside with her, using her free hand to draw the curtains closed. The sight of him in the candle light only heightened her desire and she crawled forward onto the bed until she held Angelus between her thighs.

Angelus' gaze darted nervously from her to the candle in her hand and back. He watched her tilt it, following the hot liquid until it met his own flesh and trailed down his chest. He shut his eyes, delighting in the dual sensation of pain and pleasure. He felt her lips meet his nipple and her tongue followed quickly after, tracing a swirling pattern around the peak. As she pulled away he felt his senses jolt in anticipation of the burning liquid and he arched his back up as the wax heated the small trail of saliva Nefertiti had just left. Angelus ground his hips into her in an attempt to sooth the unbearable ache of desire contained within the blasted leather of his pants. Shooting his eyes open he sucked in a lung of air and used it to blow out the candle before reversing his and Nefertiti's roles.

Nefertiti kept hold of the candle and giggled lightly as Angelus turned the tables. She continued to squirm beneath him for play but there was no denying the fact that she wanted him. Twisting herself around she found herself on her stomach and tried to wiggle her knee up to bend and kick him off of her but she quickly found herself pinned beneath him. She could feel him pressing firmly against her backside and couldn't help the mewl of desire and arch of her hips into him.

Angelus shifted slightly as she ground her backside into his groin and undid his pants in record time. His left hand he spread across her back to hold her down onto the mattress and his right hand traveled down the outline of her bottom. Moving his free hand from her bottom he tugged his pants so they'd slide down to his ankles and brought his fingertips to her womanhood.

Moving his legs he brought his knees closer together, causing her to have her legs completely closed and her womanhood infinitely tighter. Angelus smirked and removed his hand from her back to slick himself with spit from his mouth. He positioned himself behind her, left hand moving to tug her hips up slightly from the mattress and give him better access. Pulling her back slightly to meet him he pulled the string of underwear aside and out of his way to slide into her impossibly tight center. Leaning forward he slid one hand between her hips and the mattress and the other to balance his weight by her head.

With his right hand by her sex he made quick work of finding her clitoris and drug his fingertips in slow, pressurized circles over it. After giving her a moment to adjust to the intrusion Angelus began to pump hard and fast "You like it baby?" He was only answered with a string of unintelligible moans and whimpers of pleasure so he continued on.

As he felt her inner muscles grab a hold of him for the second time during their coupling he could hold back no longer. In fact he was surprised he had kept it together this long and found himself grunting with a final spasm of release on top of her. Curling himself into her he rested a head at her breast bone, trying in vein to catch his breath.

Cordelia held her arms around him as tightly as she could manage in her quivering state, placing gentle kisses to his shoulders and neck. "Doyle?"

His lips kissed briefly at a half erect nipple, tongue swirling out to compose it into a fully erect state. "Mmm." With a gentle suckle he shifted his weight to bring his gaze level with hers. "What is it darlin'?"

"I..." She had meant to just say it, but now found her voice stolen from her and she looked about nervously.

Doyle smiled warmly and pressed his lips to her forehead. "I know." His lips pressed briefly to her cheek before he began to push himself from her, "Me too." Gently he removed himself from her embrace and the back seat of the car, offering a hand to Cordelia.

"Yeah?" She took his hand, grasping his shoulders for balance as her legs shook in protest. "Good." Cordelia leaned her naked backside against the car, watching Doyle fish around for their clothing. As a hand of rumpled clothing was held out to her she took it with a nod of thanks but also grabbed at his clothing, snatching the black button down he had been wearing earlier. Before he could protest she slung it over her shoulders, finding it amusing that it stopped mid thigh and fit perfectly. She tucked her clothes under her arm, biting her lower lip at the sight of him with ruffled hair and in nothing but a pair of holy jeans.


End file.
